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Thousands of birds died when 72,000 tonnes of crude oil spilled in 1996. Nick Ainger told BBC Radio Wales the scrapping of the UK's emergency towing vessel fleet showed lessons had not been learned 20 years on. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was felt the shipping industry should fund such a service. The stranding of the Sea Empress oil tanker at the mouth of the Cleddau Estuary off Milford Haven in February 1996 resulted in 72,000 tonnes of crude North Sea oil escaping into the sea. Scores of volunteers helped open and run a makeshift animal hospital where more than 7,000 dead or oiled birds were taken - just a fraction of the number affected. About 120 miles of Welsh coastline were contaminated with the total cost of the clean-up operation put at £60m. The first two tugs in the UK's emergency towing vessel fleet were introduced in 1994 following the Donaldson report into the MV Braer oil spill. It was expanded to four in 2000 when a tug at Falmouth, Cornwall, gave cover to south Wales for the first time. The UK coalition government scrapped the fleet in 2011 as a cost-saving measure, although one tug, in Orkney, won a reprieve until March 2016. Mr Ainger told the Sunday Supplement programme: "We now have a position, 20 years after the Sea Empress, 23 after the Braer, where we have no emergency towing vehicles stationed around our coast. "Ironically, other countries in Europe, in Spain, in France, Germany, Norway have got government-financed emergency towing vessels. "We, with our huge coastline with all the shipping that we have coming not only in and out of Milford Haven, but around our shores from the North Sea carrying crude oil, we haven't got a government-supported emergency towing vessel. "I think that lesson should be re-learned very, very quickly before we have another disaster." An MCA spokeswoman said: "The government believes that responsibility for ensuring the operational safety of ships is properly a matter for the commercial shipping industry, working in partnership with the tug and salvage industries; it did not believe that it was appropriate for the taxpayer to fund this provision." She added that no vessel had run aground or foundered in UK waters, nor had any pollution occurred, as a result of a ship being unable to engage a suitable towing vessel. The 24-year-old featured 44 times for the Dons this season, including an outing as a substitute in Monday's League Two play-off final victory. Meanwhile, striker Adebayo Azeez has been offered a new deal by Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley. Azeez, 22, has scored 14 goals in 98 appearances since joining the south-west London club in summer 2014.

The Sea Empress oil disaster off Pembrokeshire could be repeated due to cuts to coastal emergency services, the county's former MP has said. [NEXT_CONCEPT] AFC Wimbledon have taken up an option in Jon Meades' contract and extended the left-back's stay at Kingsmeadow.

The bill was approved by more than two-thirds of the lower chamber, despite opposition from the Catholic Church. The proposal has already been backed by the upper house. It is expected to be signed into law within two weeks. President Jose Mujica has been championing the bill. Despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church in Uruguay, 71 out of 92 deputies have voted in favour of the measure. By Vladimir HernandezBBC Mundo A wave of reform seems to be sweeping through Uruguay. Its Congress has started to debate the possible legalisation of cannabis, it passed a law to give women the right to opt for an abortion, and now it has allowed gay couples to marry. Uruguay has become the second country in the Latin America, after Argentina, to legalise same-sex marriages. This has attracted criticism from some sectors, such as the Roman Catholic Church, which say that the law weakens the institution of marriage. According to Ignacio Zuasnabar, director of the Uruguayan pollster Equipos: "There has been more acceptance of gay marriage in recent years as public opinion seems in favour of giving more rights to same-sex couples. "Things are different with other divisive subjects, like the possible legalisation of cannabis and the recent law that approved abortions, which have more polarised views or simply a majority of people that disapprove of them," he told the BBC. "Freedom, freedom," shouted activists who were attending the session in the Congress building in Montevideo as the result was announced. "Same-sex couples have always existed," said Mr Mujica, a former left-wing guerrilla, in a television interview with Russia Today earlier this year. The Marriage Equality Law was approved by the Senate last week by 23 votes to 8. It allows same-sex couples to choose the order of the surnames of the children they adopt. And it also increases the age of consent for sexual relations to 16, from the current 12 for women and 14 for men. In recent years, Uruguay has moved to allow same-sex civil unions, adoption by gay couples, and to allow gay members of the armed forces. Uruguay's neighbour Argentina legalised gay marriage in 2010. Same-sex marriages have been legal in Mexico City since 2009. In May, Brazil's Supreme Court voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing same-sex couples the same legal rights as married heterosexuals. Buy-to-let investors have faced a stamp duty surcharge, tax relief changes and stricter affordability checks. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said an expected recovery in lending to the sector had failed to materialise. The impact of these changes should be assessed before any new policies were designed, it said. However, some would argue that the changes have started to rebalance a housing market that had been skewed in favour of buy-to-let investors and had blocked young people from getting on the housing ladder. The CML had forecast originally that total buy-to-let lending would reach £38bn this year and the same amount in 2018, but it has now cut that to £35bn in 2017 and £33bn in 2018. Total lending to the sector was nearly £41bn last year. "Buy-to-let had a weak start to 2017, and the sector's contribution to overall net mortgage lending has fallen considerably over the last year," said CML director general Paul Smee. "While falling mortgage interest rates have helped support borrowing, tax and prudential measures are exerting pressure on the buy-to-let market. Following the distortion of the stamp duty change on second properties last year, we expected a slight recovery in lending levels. However, this has not materialised, and we therefore have lowered our forecast for buy-to-let lending this year and next. "This re-emphasises the case for avoiding further changes to the tax and regulatory framework until the effect of these already in train have been properly assessed." The CML forecast for mortgage lending as a whole stands at £248bn for 2017. However, it said the housing market had "stalled" in the past few months with monthly UK property sales static at around 100,000, reflecting the wider economic picture. Mortgage lending remained relatively stable with interest rates remaining low - although there are some signs of a slight increase in the offing - and government assistance for helping some first-time buyers. Where can I afford to live?

Congress in Uruguay has voted overwhelmingly to legalise gay marriage, becoming the second country in Latin America to do so, after Argentina. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Landlords should be spared any new tax and regulation changes after a "weak start" to 2017 for the UK buy-to-let sector, lenders say.

Jackson's Lane and King Street in Carmarthen are transformed in the proposals, which form part of a master plan for the town. A new town square with an outdoor LED screen has been proposed for Jackson's Lane, while King Street would become pedestrian-friendly. Carmarthen Town Regeneration Forum is holding a public consultation on the plans. It takes place in the former Myrddin Day Centre in John Street, Carmarthen, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Carmarthenshire council said King Street was a hub for local culture, arts and crafts but that it was dominated by vehicles "which causes a cluttered pedestrian environment". It has proposed removing vehicles to allow business owners to put tables and chairs on the street, which would make it less of a "thoroughfare to the town centre" and more "of a destination in its own right". Jackson's Lane is a key route for pedestrians joining King Street, Jackson's Square and Red Street, but the council said it had "no real sense of place". It plans to create a town square that would be free of vehicles and would become a focal point and meeting place, with shops, cafes, restaurants and the LED screen which could display sporting events, TV and films. There are also plans to bring Jackson's Square and Chapel Street back to life, where kiosks could be created for new small businesses to open. Marian Ritson, from Siop Pethau Bychain on King Street, welcomed the proposals. "For years we've been in discussion with the council with regards to developing King Street, as this is one of the oldest parts of Carmarthen. It's full of independent shops, which gives the town a different feel," she said. "When people find King Street they come back all the time, but the challenge is to lead them here in the first place." Dai Jenkins, deputy leader of Carmarthenshire council, said: "A sum of money has been put into the five-year plan - the capital programme - £500,000. "But we have to start the process first, we need to consult with the people of Carmarthen before we can move on." Council executive board member for regeneration and leisure, councillor Meryl Gravell said: "I would urge Carmarthen residents to take the opportunity to see the exciting proposals for Jackson's Lane and King Street and to tell us what they think of them." Lampard, 38, played the final game of his initial two-year deal with the Major League Soccer outfit as they lost 5-0 to Toronto at Yankee Stadium. It completed an 8-0 aggregate defeat and eliminated NYC from the play-offs. Lampard, who signed for NYC after leaving Chelsea in 2014, has scored 12 times in 16 games this year, including a hat-trick against Colorado Rapids. The former England midfielder had a difficult first season in the MLS - scoring three times in 10 appearances having arrived later than initially planned after a spell at Manchester City.

Plans to regenerate a Carmarthenshire town go on display on Wednesday. [NEXT_CONCEPT] New York City have until 31 December to trigger a one-year extension to Frank Lampard's contract.

Edinburgh will host the start of the event for the first time with the finish line in Kelso in the Borders. The 188-kilometre opening leg on Sunday 3 September will leave from the Royal Mile and race through East Lothian. Riders face a 79-kilometre loop through the Borders which will allow fans at the finish in Kelso to see them race through the town twice. Last year's event also opened with a Scottish stage from Glasgow to Castle Douglas which was won by German sprinter Andre Greipel. VisitScotland's director of events Paul Bush said: "We are delighted to be welcoming the Tour of Britain back to Scotland this summer. "The opening stage will take in some truly wonderful and iconic scenery as it travels from Edinburgh, through East Lothian and onto the Scottish Borders, providing an amazing spectacle for spectators and riders alike. "Scotland is the perfect stage for cycling events and the Tour of Britain is fantastic race that brings strong economic and social benefits to the country." Craig Burn, chief executive of Scottish Cycling, said the organisation loved to see major events come to the country. "To have stage one of the Tour of Britain for the second year in a row is even better," he added. "Across the past four years Scottish Cycling has grown massively, with membership exceeding 11,000. "We know that major events have been key in helping this number to grow, therefore securing and staging elite racing is fundamental to achieving our inspiration to participation strategy." Councils in Edinburgh, East Lothian and the Borders have all welcomed the announcement. It will be the sixth time that the opening stage of the Tour of Britain has taken place in Scotland since the race was revived in 2004. The race has only once before visited Edinburgh, in 2015, while the Borders has hosted the event on four occasions, most recently in 2015 when Team Sky's Elia Viviani won a stage finishing at Floors Castle outside Kelso. Race director Mick Bennett said: "We are delighted to be able to start this year's OVO Energy Tour of Britain from the very heart of Edinburgh for the first time, and a location that is famous the world over. "The backdrop from the Royal Mile of St Giles Cathedral and the Castle will provide a fitting send off for the world's top riders. "That we have been able to work with our partners in the Scottish Borders to create a finishing loop will not only reward spectators at the finish in Kelso, but enable the race to showcase more of the area, including the Eildon Hills towards the end of the stage." After the Scottish stage, riders face a further seven legs in the event which finishes in Cardiff on 10 September. Forest have lost five of their last six games in the Championship and lie in 14th place after Saturday's 3-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday. Former Forest striker Freedman replaced Stuart Pearce in February 2015 and won 19 of his 57 games as boss. The club said first-team coach Paul Williams will take over as manager until the end of the season. Freedman guided Forest to a 14th place finish last season and leaves with the side in exactly the same position. He enjoyed a promising start to his managerial career, taking over at Crystal Palace in January 2011 and guiding the struggling club to Championship safety. In 2012, the Scot opted to join Bolton in the same division. He steered them clear of a relegation battle and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the play-offs. He left the club in 2014 by mutual consent after a run of one win in the first 10 league games of the season. Although Forest enjoyed a 13-game unbeaten run from November to February, they have failed to threaten the play-off spots. They have been restricted to free and loan signings since December 2014, having been placed under a transfer embargo for exceeding Financial Fair Play limits. They have the opportunity to have the embargo lifted in June. Forest's next match is in the league away to third-placed Hull on Tuesday (kick-off 19:45 GMT).

The Tour of Britain cycling race will open with a Scottish stage once again this year. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Nottingham Forest have sacked manager Dougie Freedman after 13 months in charge at the City Ground.

Police said they were called to a house on Frederick Avenue in Carlow town at about 13:30 local time. It followed a report of a man being stabbed. RTÉ said the victim was seriously injured when he was found and was later pronounced dead. Media playback is not supported on this device Rhys Webb's two late tries clinched an extraordinary win which ended Blues' European Champions Cup qualification hopes while maintaining his team's. Ospreys hit back from 17-7 behind as Hanno Dirksen' (2) and Sam Underhill added to James King's first-half try. Aled Summerhill and Josh Navidi crossed for the Blues. Ospreys moved into seventh place in the Pro12 table with a home game to come against Ulster on the final day of the regular season, next Saturday. Media playback is not supported on this device The Swansea-based team could clinch a place in the Champions Cup next season if other results go their way. Having led earlier in the game, Blues were 27-26 ahead with six minutes remaining, before Webb's dramatic intervention. It was a treat for a record crowd of more than 60,000 for this event as the lead changed hands seven times. In the first instalment of a Judgement Day double-header at the Principality Stadium, Ospreys did not take one penalty attempt at goal as they strove for a bonus point. Blues just needed to win, and with Gareth Anscombe looking assured at fly-half and the back-row regularly turning over Ospreys possession, they looked well capable of it. Anscombe's four penalties and a superb pass for Summerhill's try gave them a 10-point cushion early in the second half. Wing Dirksen's two tries in five minutes ignited an outstanding finish. Navidi took advantage of slack tackling before Underhill's try edged Ospreys back ahead. Anscombe's fifth penalty gave Blues a point advantage before Webb's opportunism took the game away from them in the breathless finale. If Ospreys beat Ulster with a bonus point in their final game, they could overtake Munster and claim sixth place and with it Champions Cup qualification. But as well as contemplating defeat, Blues - and Wales - were also left with a fresh injury worry over flanker Sam Warburton. Cardiff Blues: Dan Fish; Aled Summerhill, Garyn Smith, Rey Lee-Lo, Tom Isaacs; Gareth Anscombe, Lewis Jones; Gethin Jenkins (capt), Matthew Rees, Taufa'ao Filise, Josh Turnbull, James Down, Sam Warburton, Ellis Jenkins, Josh Navidi. Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Brad Thyer, Dillon Lewis, Jarrad Hoeata, Manoa Vosawai, Tomos Williams, Jarrod Evans, Gavin Evans. Ospreys: Dan Evans, Hanno Dirksen, Jonathan Spratt, Owen Watkin, Ben John, Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb (captain); Nicky Smith, Scott Baldwin, Dmitri Arhip, Adam Beard, Rynier Bernardo, Olly Cracknell, James King, Dan Lydiate. Replacements: Sam Parry, Gareth Thomas, Aaron Jarvis, Rory Thornton, Sam Underhill, Brendon Leonard, Sam Davies, Josh Matavesi. Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU) Assistant referees: Leighton Hodges, Martyn Lewis (both WRU) Citing commissioner: Dennis Jones (WRU) TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)

A man in his 20s has been arrested after a 46-year-old man died following a stabbing in County Carlow in the Republic of Ireland. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Ospreys fought back from a 10-point deficit to claim their 10th consecutive win over Cardiff Blues in a Judgement Day thriller.

Gunmen believed to be from the Boko Haram group killed several residents and burnt down Izghe over the weekend. A week earlier, 106 people were killed by gunmen in a raid on Izghe. Borno state Senator Ali Ndume told the BBC it was clear that a state of emergency imposed by the government to end the insurgency was not working. More than 500 people had been killed in Borno in the last two months, he said. The state government has pledged to spend up to $2m (£1.2m) to help rebuild areas affected by the violence. President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three north-eastern states - Borno, Yobe and Adamawa - last year, giving the security forces extra-ordinary powers to fight Boko Haram. However, soldiers were in a "pathetic situation", and there was no sign of the army having taken extra-ordinary measures to end the violence, Mr Ndume said. "The Nigerian army can deploy more troops, more equipment and be more committed to the execution of this emergency rule," he told the BBC. The army had failed to deploy troops to Izghe after the first attack, opening the way for Boko Haram to re-enter the town, Mr Ndume said. Many people had fled after the first attack, but some elderly residents were still staying there. A resident in Izghe told the BBC that three women and a man were killed in the raid. "They [the gunmen] came to the to the town and burnt everything. They burnt all the houses," he said, on condition of anonymity. The government has repeatedly said it is winning the war against the militants, who are fighting to establish a strict Islamic state across northern Nigeria. Boko Haram has killed thousands, including many Muslims and Christians, since it began its uprising in 2009. Mr Mackenzie was suspended after comparing the player - who has a Nigerian grandfather - to a gorilla. The BBC's media editor Amol Rajan said: "Now we know he will not be asked to contribute to the paper again". A spokesman for The Sun said Mr Mackenzie "remained suspended" but would not comment on his departure. According to the Financial Times, the terms of Mr Mackenzie's exit are being negotiated. In his column, Mr MacKenzie said looking at Mr Barkley's eyes had given him a "similar feeling when seeing a gorilla at the zoo". His eyes made him "certain not only are the lights not on, there is definitely nobody at home", he wrote. Alongside the article was an image of a gorilla next to a picture of the midfielder. The paper subsequently apologised for the article, published on 14 April, saying it was unaware of Mr Barkley's heritage. The Sun's subsequent apology said that as soon as Mr Barkley's background was drawn to its attention, the article was removed from its website. The apology did not extend to other elements of the article, in which Mr MacKenzie suggested that the only people in Liverpool who could earn as much as footballers were drug dealers. Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson had called for Mr Mackenzie to be sacked over the column, describing it as a "racial slur" and a "disgrace". Mr Barkley's lawyers also made a formal complaint about the piece. At the time, Mr Mackenzie said he was unaware Barkley had a Nigerian-born grandfather and denied the column was "racist". The Sun's publisher, News UK, is part of News Corp, run by Rupert Murdoch. Ofcom is currently examining an £11.7bn bid from 21st Century Fox, also run by Mr Murdoch, of broadcaster Sky, of which it already owns 39%. The BBC's media editor said Mr Murdoch and the company hoped that by showing they were willing to sack long-standing stars they will send a signal to media regulator Ofcom that they are fit and proper to own Sky outright. Mr MacKenzie was editor of The Sun when it published a front-page article blaming fans for the 1989 Hillsborough disaster in which 96 people died. Mr Mackenzie has subsequently said that he was "completely duped" and that he was a victim of a "black" operation to smear the fans and protect the police.

A Nigerian senator has expressed outrage over the security forces' failure to prevent a second attack on a town by suspected Islamist militants. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Former Sun editor Kelvin Mackenzie is to leave the paper after making controversial comments in a column about Everton footballer Ross Barkley.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said bidders for the new franchise must demonstrate how they would deliver more trains and more space for passengers. The current operator, Govia, wants to run the franchise again after its contract expires in October 2017. It has been shortlisted as a bidder alongside West Midlands Trains Ltd. New services will offer more than 300 extra Sunday services across the franchise by 2021, more evening trains, free wi-fi on mainline services and better ticket options for passengers who travel fewer than five days a week. A new direct peak time service between Walsall and London will also be provided. Rail Minister Paul Maynard described it as the "biggest investment in the railways since the Victorian era". The missing islands, part of the Solomon Archipelago, were not inhabited by human beings. But six other islands were found to have seen swathes of land turn into sea, destroying entire villages. The researchers say it is the first scientific confirmation of the impact of climate change on Pacific coastlines. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters, looked at 33 islands using aerial and satellite imagery from 1947 to 2014, combined with historical insight and local knowledge. It found that the archipelago had seen sea levels rise as much as as 10mm (0.4in) every year for the past two decades. The five that have vanished were all vegetated reef islands of up to five hectares (12 acres) in size that were occasionally used by fishermen but not populated. "They were not just little sand islands", leader author Simon Albert said. One of the six islands that have been heavily eroded is Nuatambu Island, home to 25 families. The research says it has lost 11 houses and half its inhabitable area since 2011. The researchers say their study is the first that scientifically "confirms the numerous anecdotal accounts from across the Pacific of the dramatic impacts of climate change on coastlines and people". However, the report stresses that the inundation does not result from rising sea levels alone. It found that shoreline recession was substantially worse in areas exposed to high wave energy, and that extreme events and inappropriate development were also factors contributing to the erosion. The Solomon Islands, a nation made up of hundreds of islands and with a population of about 640,000, lies about 1,000 miles north-east of Australia. Some communities are already adapting to the changed conditions. Several Nuatambu islanders have moved to a higher neighbouring volcanic island, the study said. Other people were forced to move on the island of Nararo. One of them, 94-year-old Sirilo Sutaroti, told researchers: "The sea has started to come inland, it forced us to move up to the hilltop and rebuild our village there away from the sea." Taro, the capital of Choiseul Province, is set to become the first provincial capital to relocate residents and services.

A new West Midlands Rail (WMR) franchise will accommodate another 20,000 passengers in London and Birmingham at peak times. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Five tiny Pacific islands have disappeared amid rising seas and erosion, Australian researchers say.

The £850,000 Marine Lake in Clevedon, funded by Heritage Lottery, included work to reinforce and raise the seawall and de-silt the lake bed, for the first time in 80 years. The work has also included improving access to the lake and a water play area for children. Marine Lake opened in 1929 and was once a huge visitor attraction, but fell out of favour in the 1960s. Marine Lake Ranger Jo Tasker said the lake would gradually fill up with high tides expected next week and "people need to take care in and around the seafront". North Somerset Councillor Peter Bryant said: "It will secure the long-term future of this historic landmark and shows what can be achieved by local organisations and people working together." The official opening of the lake will take place in April to coincide with the anniversary of its original opening. In that time, the club appointed a new coaching team and also had an overhaul of the playing squad. Gloucester also won the European Rugby Challenge Cup, the club's first silverware for four years. Profit on ordinary activities before taxation was £286,026, while the club's long-term debt was also reduced by 18%. The club increased turnover by 21.3% over the previous year and the footprint of the stadium was also increased with the purchase of the former Cooper Cowan car site. "It's been a really good year, it's been a very tough year," managing director Stephen Vaughan told BBC Gloucestershire. "In business parlance our costs have gone up dramatically in the past 12 months, so we've had to work even harder to keep a self-sustainable model. So I'm really pleased we've been able to do that when we've invested not just in the playing department, but have also bought a big chunk of land at Kingsholm for work in the future out of working capital." The club also held two successful concerts at their Kingsholm Stadium home in the summer, with over 26,000 people watching Madness and Elton John perform. Gloucester are controlled by Ryan Walkinshaw, who took over following the death of his father Tom - a former Formula 1 team owner - in 2010. They have been owned by the Walkinshaw family since 1997 but are currently looking for new owners. "We are still talking to people," added Vaughan. "Have we found the people that are right? not yet. I'd like to be in a position in the next six to eight weeks where I would like to say categorically we've either got a new direction or we are comfortable how we are."

A water attraction has reopened after a six-month restoration project. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Gloucester Rugby have recorded an operating profit for the fifth straight year, for the period up until 30 June 2015.

With talks between London Underground (LU) and the unions at an impasse and showing little sign of progress, are there now further signs the idea of a Night Tube is withering? Previously London Mayor Boris Johnson has said the Night Tube could not be at "any cost" and today he told LBC Radio the weekend service was not "absolutely critical". Asked whether he could provide a date for the introduction of the 24-hour Tube, Mr Johnson said: "I've got to tell you this is something that the city of London has done without for 150 years. What I won't do is pay an unreasonable price for it, which Londoners would feel in their fares. "There's a very good deal on the table. I just hope that members of the Tube unions will get a chance to look at it. No-one will work more hours than they do today. Drivers have the same number of weekends as now. "I want you to know that this is something I think we should have but - I hope my attitude is clear - it is not something that I regard as absolutely critical." That is arguably a further shift away from a policy announced with much fanfare alongside the closure of ticket offices two years ago. Compared to the policy of closing ticket offices the differences are stark. LU forced those closures through even though the unions didn't want the changes. With the Night Tube it depends on the agreement of those same unions, but it cannot force the changes through without drivers. There also doesn't seem to be a sense of uproar from anyone that the plans for the Night Tube now seem to be in disarray; there is no start date and there seems to be political apathy around the whole idea. Of course there is much bluff and bluster during these talks, but it does makes you wonder if it'll ever happen? The fire broke out at about 20:20 BST on Friday, at Charles Trent Yard in Poole, Dorset, the fire service said. Plumes of smoke could be seen for miles, and 60 firefighters brought the blaze, which gutted 170 vehicles, under control at about 05:00 BST. Dorset Police assisted in securing the area and there are no reports of any casualties, investigators are looking into what caused the blaze. David Honeybell, from Nottingham, also accepted posting "revenge porn" photos of his wife on Facebook, but was not charged with a revenge porn offence. Instead, he was charged with arson for burning the clothes and harassment for a series of abusive texts, phone calls and voice messages. The 49-year-old pleaded guilty. He told Nottingham Magistrates' Court he was "upset and sorry" for setting fire to his wife's clothes on 4 June, as well as harassing her by sending 18 text messages and leaving six voicemails on 16 June. The naked photos were mentioned at the previous court hearing but not at his sentencing. When asked outside of court about the posting of naked photos of his wife he said he could not justify it. "I can't now, obviously," he said. "When you think back on what you've done you shouldn't have done it. "It was just impulse, it was a thing, when you get angry you just do things off the cuff." He and Sarah Honeybell, who had been married for 23 years, are now divorcing. On the day he harassed her with the texts and phone calls, he wrote on his Facebook wall that he was "Off to see the rozzers" as he had "burnt her clothes, put naked photos of her on the Internet". After admitting arson and harassment in court on 8 July he posted a newspaper article about the case on his Facebook wall and wrote "Famous" in the caption underneath. The Crown Prosecution Service was asked to comment on why Honeybell was not charged with a revenge porn offence. A spokesperson said: "The charge of harassment without violence was pursued because it gave the court sufficient sentencing powers for the full extent of David Honeybell's offending. "The CPS also took into account the needs expressed by the victim for the case to progress through the court expeditiously. "As a result of the approach taken, the defendant pleaded guilty without the need for the victim to give evidence." The restraining order and community order will both apply for a year.

Is London's weekend Night Tube plan dying? [NEXT_CONCEPT] More than 150 cars have been destroyed in a major blaze at a scrapyard. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A man who set fire to his wife's clothes after discovering she had been having an affair has been given a community order and restraining order.

He has also been fined £100,000 and ordered to attend a Football Association education course. Shelvey, 24, had a personal hearing to challenge the charge after an incident with Wolves' Moroccan midfielder Romain Saiss in 17 September's 2-0 defeat. The player has seven days to appeal. Newcastle said in a statement they will wait to see the FA's written reasons "before making any further comment on the matter". The FA's sanctions will be set aside pending consideration for an appeal. Newcastle were losing to Wolves in their Championship match at St James' Park, when in the 87th minute an incident occurred between Shelvey and Saiss. The breach, according to the FA's charge against the former Liverpool and Swansea player, related to Rule E3(1), and was an "Aggravated Breach as defined in Rule E3(2), as it included reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or nationality". BBC Sport's Pat Murphy said the matter was brought to referee Tim Robinson's attention by one of Saiss' team-mates immediately after the game. If Boxing Day's visit of Sheffield Wednesday becomes the first game of the suspension, the England international will miss four league games and the FA Cup third-round tie at Birmingham. Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez would next be able to name him in the squad for the Championship game against Rotherham on 21 January. FA guidelines, which were revised in 2013, state any player found guilty of racially abusing an opponent or discriminating on religion, sexuality or disability, should be banned for at least five games. Prior to that, Chelsea's John Terry was handed a four-match ban and a £220,000 fine for racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, while Liverpool's Luis Suarez received an eight-match suspension and a £40,000 fine for his abuse of Manchester United's Patrice Evra - both in 2011. In an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, three international experts said it was time to "bust the myth" about exercise. They said while activity was a key part of staving off diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and dementia, its impact on obesity was minimal. Instead excess sugar and carbohydrates were key. The experts, including London cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, blamed the food industry for encouraging the belief that exercise could counteract the impact of unhealthy eating. They even likened their tactics as "chillingly similar" to those of Big Tobacco on smoking and said celebrity endorsements of sugary drinks and the association of junk food and sport must end. They said there was evidence that up to 40% of those within a normal weight range will still harbour harmful metabolic abnormalities typically associated with obesity. But despite this public health messaging had "unhelpfully" focused on maintaining a healthy weight through calorie counting when it was the source of calories that mattered most - research has shown that diabetes increases 11-fold for every 150 additional sugar calories consumed compared to fat calories. And they pointed to evidence from the Lancet global burden of disease programme which shows that unhealthy eating was linked to more ill health than physical activity, alcohol and smoking combined. Dr Malhotra said: "An obese person does not need to do one iota of exercise to lose weight, they just need to eat less. My biggest concern is that the messaging that is coming to the public suggests you can eat what you like as long as you exercise. "That is unscientific and wrong. You cannot outrun a bad diet." But others said it was risky to play down the role of exercise. Prof Mark Baker, of the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, which recommends "well-balanced diets combined with physical activity", said it would be "idiotic" to rule out the importance of physical activity. Ian Wright, director general at Food and Drink Federation, said: "The benefits of physical activity aren't food industry hype or conspiracy, as suggested. A healthy lifestyle will include both a balanced diet and exercise." He said the industry was encouraging a balanced diet by voluntarily providing clear on-pack nutrition information and offering products with extra nutrients and less salt, sugar and fat. "This article appears to undermine the origins of the evidence-based government public health advice, which must surely be confusing for consumers," he said.

Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has been banned for five games after he was found guilty of using racially abusive language by an independent panel. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Physical activity has little role in tackling obesity - and instead public health messages should squarely focus on unhealthy eating, doctors say.

The banknote, which will enter circulation in the next three to five years, currently features the economist Adam Smith. The Bank is asking the public for suggestions of artists ranging from painters to furniture makers. But the Bank will want to avoid a repeat of previous equality complaints. It faced criticism after the planned replacement of campaigner Elizabeth Fry on the £5 note with Winston Churchill, which left it facing the prospect of no women being used on banknote images. This was solved when author Jane Austen was announced as the image on the next £10 note. The public will be asked to nominate an artist to be considered for the banknote. They can include painters, fashion designers, sculptors, ceramicists, furniture makers, photographers and film-makers. This will then be considered by a committee which, taking into account worthiness, equality and diversity, will whittle down the list to between three and five. The final decision will then be made by the governor of the Bank, Mark Carney. Her appeal comes as homeless volunteers are mourning the recent death of a homeless man on the streets of Belfast. As a volunteer for Belfast charity The Welcome Organisation, 84-year-old Sister Olive Cooney spends her days washing clothes and sleeping bags for the homeless. Speaking to the BBC's The Sunday News programme, she said the government could do more to help them. "It makes me feel very very sad to think there are people out there who would have nobody to love them, to care for them," said Sr Olive. "It touches my heart." She explained that her hope, in washing their clothes and bedclothes, is that she might encourage the homeless to feel a sense of dignity, which could convince them to get back on their feet. Paying tribute to homeless man Jimmy Coulter, who died earlier this month, Sr Olive described him as "a lovely person - full of life, full of beans". Mr Coulter, who was in his mid-thirties, died in a doorway in Donegal Place in Belfast city centre. "I was just devastated - couldn't believe it, because he came from a very good family. "But really and truly, it doesn't matter what your family circumstances are. If you're going to go that road, you're going to go that road anyway." The Belfast nun said she encounters "a whole range of people" on the streets, "be they in their teens, right up to quite elderly people", but that they tend to be mostly male. "Some will come and disclose how they ended up in the street - it might be through domestic violence, domestic circumstances, addiction in the home. "They think this is the best place for them - to just get out." In other cases, she said, unemployment can play a part. "And possibly foreigners coming over, looking for work and not finding it, then not having enough money to get back home." Laughing at the affectionate comparisons to Mother Teresa, Sr Olive stressed that she was not in the same league as the revered nun, but admitted it was flattering. "I was very humbled, because I certainly wouldn't classify myself in the same plane as our venerable, blessed Mother Theresa. "But it gave me a sense of pride that people appreciate what I do." Although voluntary organisations work hard to address the homeless problem in Northern Ireland, Sister Olive believes it is time for the government to step in with financial support. "There are so many organisations out there helping the homeless. I think the government really should now up their efforts to help the homeless," she said. You can hear Sr Olive's interview in full on The Sunday News, BBC Radio Ulster, at 13:00 on Sunday, 20 February.

The image of a visual artist will appear on the next version of the £20 note - and the Bank of England wants the public to make nominations. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A Belfast nun, known affectionately as Mother Teresa by the homeless people she helps, has added her voice to calls for more to be done to help those who sleep rough.

The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP said he provided a statement about a man who was convicted of benefit fraud. However, the politician insisted he did not make a character reference. Clive Miller, a former soldier from Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, claimed housing benefit while he owned properties in Spain. He got income support despite having more than £280,000 in his bank accounts and was overpaid almost £40,000 in benefits between 2002 and 2010. Miller was was given a suspended jail sentence at Dungannon Crown Court on Monday. The court heard that his legal team had a reference from "an esteemed source" which spoke "glowingly of his work in the voluntary sector". Mr Elliott said he is not sure if he is the esteemed source referred too. However, he said he did provide a statement about Mr Miller but insisted it was not a character reference. He told the BBC: "I confirmed that I knew him. That is what I was asked. I knew him in the context of him coming to me with constituency issues." The MP also declared: "I did take the step of writing to the judge to let him know this was not a character reference, in case there was any doubt about it " Mr Elliott now intends to take the matter further, saying: "Obviously I will be taking it forward with the lord chief justice." He added: "I would have concerns if that simple acknowledgment or answering the question that I confirmed I knew the person is taken as a reference ". Miller, of Coleshill Crescent, admitted four charges of failing to declare a change of circumstances to the Social Security Agency. Two charges of money laundering were left on the books. The judge sentenced 47-year-old Miller, to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. Four other male officers suffered less serious injuries during the attack in Plowright Close in Sheffield at about 19:50 BST on Wednesday. A man was later arrested nearby on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody. The female officer sustained "multiple serious injuries" in the attack. More on this and other local stories in South Yorkshire Witnesses said the female officer was injured inside a maisonette, before a man fled to the Co-op and started throwing stock at staff and customers. Neighbour Simon Ellis, 46, who went to help the officer, said she told him she feared the attacker would kill her. Mr Ellis said he had noticed two officers running up the stairwell in his block of flats and then a woman resident emerged. "She said [her boyfriend had] lost his mind, the aliens were chasing him and he was trying to kill the police officers that I'd just seen running up the stairs," he said. "As she did so, the lady police officer, who's been injured the most, came half-staggering, half-falling out of the stairwell pursued by this big bloke, this bodybuilder, with an axe. "It was a frenzied attack, chopping at her with the axe." A force spokesman said the officers were responding to a "domestic incident" in Plowright Close where they found the man with the axe. "The PC and a second male officer were injured as they made attempts to arrest the man," he said. "Then three other officers, all men, were also injured as they arrested the man, in his 30s, inside the Co-op store, in Blackstock Road." Deputy Chief Constable Dawn Copley said: "The officers who attended in Gleadless last night were faced with an extremely dangerous situation and showed immense bravery dealing with a violent individual." Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, added: "This is the second incident in this area within a few days. "Fortunately, in both cases arrests have been speedily made and the public at large is not in danger. The community has also rallied round." On Tuesday, a woman was stabbed to death at her home in Gleadless Valley. A man has been charged with her murder.

The Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott is to contact the lord chief justice over how comments he had made about a benefits cheat were used in court. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A police officer suffered serious injuries when she was injured by a man, reportedly armed with an axe, police said.

On Friday night, Cyclone Promotions boss Barry McGuigan revealed on Twitter that they had signed up for the fight, which will take place in New York. Frampton is aiming to become the first Northern Ireland boxer to win world titles at different weights. In February, he beat Scott Quigg in a super-bantamweight unification bout. It saw the 29-year-old add the WBA belt to the IBF title he already held. However, he was later stripped of the WBA crown because he did not agree to a defence against mandatory challenger Guillermo Rigondeaux. On the same night as the Frampton v Quigg clash in Manchester, Santa Cruz defended his WBA featherweight title against Spain's Kiko Martinez. Mexican Santa Cruz, 27, is a three-weight world champion and is undefeated in his 33 professional contests. The medication prevents new infections by killing the virus before it has a chance to take hold in the body. Calculations, published in the Lancet, indicate giving the drugs to the most at-risk men could cut new infections by more than 40% in the UK. Experts said the approach was of "huge benefit" to at-risk men and should be adopted. Men who have sex with men are at high risk of contracting HIV. In London, one in eight gay men has HIV, while the proportion in the rest of the UK is one in 26. While condoms are an effective barrier to HIV transmission, messages to use them are often ignored. Last year, a UK test on 500 men assessed the impact of an alternative approach called pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep). It indicated one case of HIV could be stopped for every 13 men given anti-HIV drugs for a year. Scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine modelled the impact of introducing such a treatment across the UK. They estimated there would be 16,955 new cases of HIV in gay men by 2020. But giving Prep to the most sexually active 25% of gay men would prevent 7,399 infections (44%). Dr Narat Punyacharoensin, one of the researchers, said a focus on regular HIV tests and condom use "have been falling short". He told the BBC News website: "Prep has a great potential to achieve a level of prevention that could never be achieved by all other HIV interventions." He said the cost-effectiveness still needed to be determined, but "pre-exposure prophylaxis offers a major opportunity to curb new infections and could help reverse the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men in the UK". Concerns had been raised that men given the drug would adopt riskier behaviours including stopping using condoms. But the test on 500 men, which concluded last year, found no difference in levels of other sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia. Prof Sheena McCormack, who led that study at the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, told the BBC: "[It] demonstrated a huge benefit from adding Prep to the existing risk-reduction package for men who have sex with men. "This publication endorses the impressive longer term impact that Prep could have on the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men in this country, and hopefully will guide NHS England towards a favourable decision." Dr Michael Brady, the medical director of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "This study is really important as it demonstrates that, in a relatively short space of time, Prep could have a dramatic impact on reducing HIV transmissions." The NHS is evaluating whether Prep should be offered. Follow James on Twitter.

Carl Frampton has agreed to a showdown with world featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz in the summer, according to the Belfast boxer's management team. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Giving daily HIV drugs to healthy gay men has huge potential to help reverse the epidemic, say scientists.

The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument will become the largest network of oceanic protected areas in the world. The memorandum bans commercial fishing, deep-sea mining and other extraction of underwater resources in the area. Environmental campaigners welcomed the move although some critics say President Obama could have done more. "This really is a matter of stewardship. It's also a matter of generational responsibility," said US Secretary of State John Kerry. "We have a responsibility to make sure... the future has the same ocean to serve it. Not to be abused, but to preserve and utilise." The Pacific Remote Islands Area consists of seven scattered islands, atolls and reefs that lie between Hawaii and American Samoa. The waters that surround these islands are home to corals, seabirds, sharks and vegetation not found anywhere else in the world. President George W Bush set up the marine preserve in 2009 but until now it only encompassed an area 50 nautical miles (92km) from the islands' shores. Now the protected area is being expanded to 200 nautical miles from the unique atolls. It will cover 490,000 sq miles (1.2m sq km) - an area roughly three times the size of California. Mr Obama first signalled his intention to expand the monument in June and asked for comments on the final boundaries from fishermen, lawmakers and scientists. Environmental groups greeted the announcement and said they hoped it would spur other nations to take similar steps. "The president acted expeditiously, while the area is still largely pristine and undisturbed," said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. However, some critics say the expansion falls short of what Mr Obama could have done had he used the full extent of his powers. The islands affected are divided into five regions and the expansion only involves three of them. If Mr Obama had expanded the preserve in all five regions he could have protected more than 780,000 sq miles, some environmentalists say. Lee Bo, a British citizen, was widely believed to have been abducted and taken to mainland China late last year along with four of his colleagues. China was accused of violating Hong Kong's judicial independence. The men worked for a publisher Mighty Current which sold gossipy books critical of China's leaders. They all went missing late last year. Mr Lee denied being kidnapped during an interview on state Chinese television. However, his supporters believe the TV interview was done under duress. Mr Lee's colleagues, Cheung Jiping, Lui Bo, Gui Minhai and Lam Wingkei, appeared on Chinese state TV in February, saying they had been detained for "illegal book trading". Mr Lee returned to Hong Kong on Thursday, where he asked police to drop the missing persons case on him. On Friday morning, smiling nervously, he told journalists he would not publish books anymore, and asked them not to bother him or his family. He said he could travel freely between Hong Kong and the mainland, before being escorted into a car that drove him to mainland China, local media reported. When asked if he had been taken to China by security agents, Mr Lee said "it's not convenient for me to say". China expert Willy Lam, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told AFP news agency: "The fact of the matter is that he has not really been fully released... he needs to report back to China." Mr Cheung and Mr Lui returned briefly to Hong Kong earlier this month, but were also reportedly returned to the mainland as part of their bail conditions. Mr Lee's disappearance from Hong Kong in December sparked an international outcry. Under Hong Kong law, Chinese police do not have jurisdiction in the territory. Many suspected he had been abducted because he had not taken his travel document, which is necessarily for cross-border travel, with him, and the Hong Kong authorities said they had no record of his having crossed into the mainland. The UK has said Mr Bo was probably "involuntarily removed" to China, calling it a "serious breach" of the handover treaty that undermined the principle of "One Country, Two Systems". 1. Lui Bo, general manager, goes missing in Shenzhen, 15 October 2. Cheung Jiping, business manager, 32, goes missing in Dongguan, 15 October 3. Gui Minhai, co-owner, 51, goes missing in Thailand, 17 October 4. Lam Wingkei, manager, 60, last seen in Hong Kong, 23 October 5. Lee Bo, shareholder, 65, goes missing in Hong Kong, 30 December

US President Barack Obama has signed a memorandum to expand a vast marine reserve in the Pacific Ocean. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A Hong Kong publisher who went missing for nearly three months is reportedly back in mainland China - a few hours after returning to Hong Kong.

Nottinghamshire Police said it would be increasing police activity after gathering intelligence on Notts County followers all season. The news comes after three people were charged following trouble at County's 5-0 defeat at Mansfield on Saturday. The club said it did not "condone the behaviour of a very small minority" of supporters at the Mansfield match. Live updates and more from Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire Police believe a gang of "about 60 to 80" hooligans is targeting Notts County matches. Supt Mark Holland, who is head of football policing in Nottinghamshire, said he had been concerned about the group for some time. "We've been monitoring this all season and there is definitely an emerging group there," he said. "There's about 60 to 80 'supporters' who have been attending away games, causing problems and disorder. "We don't police more than 50% of the games in Nottinghamshire, but we've been attending all Notts County games in an intelligence-gathering capacity. "They're trying to get themselves established, but we've arrested quite a few of them, we've gathered quite a bit of intelligence and there'll be further action to come." Formed in 1862, Notts County is considered to be the oldest professional football team in the world and was one of 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888. Saturday's arrests at the League Two match at Mansfield were for possession of a firework/flare at a sporting event, being drunk at a sports ground and accessing the pitch. Three men were charged and have been bailed to appear in court next month. Mr Corbyn said the PM should have focused on issues like cyber crime, fair trade and the refugee crisis. And he claimed the "influence of Tory Party funders" could be seen in protections for the City of London. The PM told MPs leaving the European Union "could hurt working people for years to come". Responding to Mr Cameron's Commons statement on the reform deal that has triggered the UK's EU referendum on June 23, Mr Corbyn said Labour was "overwhelmingly for staying in". EU membership brought jobs and investment, he said. Turning to the reform package, The Labour leader backed a so-called "red card system" allowing national Parliaments to club together and veto EU law, saying this had previously been proposed by his party. But he said the majority of the PM's negotiations had not been about the future of Europe. Highlighting what he said were "serious, pressing issues" that Mr Cameron should have focused on, he said welfare reforms should have addressed low pay in the UK, the undercutting of wages and the "grotesque" exploitation of migrant workers. The prime minister said he disagreed with Mr Corbyn "on many things" but said they agreed that Britain should be part of Europe. His draft deal, he said, implemented "almost every single pledge" on Europe that had been in Labour's general election manifesto.

One of the Football League's founding clubs has an "emerging" hooligan firm, a police force has warned. [NEXT_CONCEPT] David Cameron's EU negotiations were a "theatrical sideshow" aimed at appeasing Conservative MPs, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said.

Chris Sontag-Ratti's dog Everything, died on the 23 January 2014. To mark the second anniversary of her death, Chris decided to buy 100 tennis balls and post them to dog owners. "I hope that the people that get a ball from me will use it to spend quality time with their best friend," he wrote on Instagram. "This tennis ball is a memory of my best friend. Thank you for helping to keep her memory alive." The post clearly touched a nerve with pet owners around the world, as more than 8,000 people liked the post in 24 hours. It quickly became one of the most liked topics on Reddit, with users sharing their own stories of pets loved and lost. "Wow. I had to close the page really fast to avoid crying," wrote one user. "I lost my four-legged sister two years ago," wrote another. "She used to love to play fetch - but would never let go of the ball once she brought it back. I'm tearing up at work." So far Chris, who is in California, has been contacted by over 200 people and has sent out more than 70 tennis balls. He has had requests from all over the world including as far away as Australia. He says "My friend has donated packaging and labels to post all the tennis balls and I have more balls ordered. Now all I have to do is pay for sending them. I don't want to ask for help as it does not seem right, but I am so grateful for all the support I've received." It's not the first time that dogs and their love of tennis balls have been such a hit on social media. In 2013, another Reddit user posted a picture of a bucket of tennis balls which was left on a dog beach in Australia in memory of a Staffordshire bull terrier which had passed away. A well-known dog beach in San Diego, California also has a dog ball bucket in memory of a military working dog called Raika. Reddit even has its own subreddit dedicated to pets who have recently died. Keen to remember their friends in happier times, many owners have taken to posting bucket lists for their terminally ill pets. A Facebook page set up by Canadian Riina Cooke, to catalogue the exploits of her boxer Romeo, has more than 12,000 likes. It still draws comments from people around the world, almost two years after he passed away. Facebook and other social media sites offer bereaved relatives the opportunity to memorialise a user's account. There are also specialist websites where loved ones can pay tribute to family members. Chris believes the lack of options for pet owners is one of the reasons why his tribute has gone viral. "Many of the emails I have received are from people not necessarily wanting tennis balls, but just wanting to share stories about their beloved pets," he said. "Everything was my everything. Losing her left a big hole in my heart. This was a cathartic way to deal with her loss. The response I've received is testament to how the death of a pet is like losing a family member." "I'm touched by the response and helping others is a way of breathing life into her memory." By Hannah Henderson with additional reporting by Rozina Sini Work on Rhigos Mountain Road which links the Rhondda and Cynon valleys began in April and is due to be finished by Sunday. It forms part of a £23m investment by the local council to tackle damage caused by severe winters. Rhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan said the focus had been to complete work before next winter. About 6,000 tonnes of new surface has been laid on a 5.6 mile (9km) section.

One man's tribute to his beloved Rottweiler has gone viral after he offered to post tennis balls to dog owners on the anniversary of her death. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Road closures are set to be lifted as £1.25m repairs on a major route in Rhondda Cynon Taff near completion.

The town hall commissioned a street art mural by the country's top graffiti artist, C215, showing a sulking boy slumped against a wall. But there was a slight hitch - the town's cleaning department were not told not to remove it. C215, whose real name is Christian Guemy, seemed quite relaxed about it. The artist told AFP news agency what surprised him was that it was cleaned up by the same city that commissioned him. The town hall had apologised, he said. Meanwhile officials told French media that the artist would return to Reims at the start of March to carry out more work. The culture and events department would be giving advance notice to the anti-graffiti squad this time, they added. The feasibility report, commissioned by the charity Crisis, looked at piloting the Housing First support system aimed at reducing homelessness. Finding people a home "improves well-being" and is more cost-effective than hostel placements, it said. LCR Mayor Steve Rotheram said it could "change how we tackle homelessness". The study, funded by the UK government and the charity Housing First, said the "current system is failing some of the most vulnerable homeless people, who often struggle with the rules and conditions, stress, and lack of security in hostels". It said they needed "higher levels of support as a result of poor mental health, substance misuse, physical or learning disabilities or a history of offending". Adopting the Housing First scheme could save LCR between £1.18m and £4.02m annually by 2023/24, the report claims. It estimated LCR - which includes Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral and the Cheshire borough of Halton - would have to spend about £12,600 per user annually if implemented. The study by the charity Crisis and others found that in April this year more than 500 people in the Liverpool city region had been using homeless services for a year. Of these, 15-20 were considered long-term rough sleepers in Liverpool itself, the council said. Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: "For the most vulnerable rough sleepers, the best approach is to support people into a stable home of their own as soon as possible and shape personalised support around them." Along with LCR mayor Steve Rotheram, he called on the UK government to consider the "radical new approach", which has been used in Scotland, Denmark, Finland, France, Canada and the US. Mr Rotheram said: "I recognise the enormously valuable work being done by agencies... but as this report makes clear, there are limitations to the current system, which mean that all too often the most vulnerable rough sleepers are falling through the cracks." Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said the study provided "valuable evidence for consideration by our new Homelessness Reduction Task Force".

Citizens of Reims in northern France have lost a brand new artwork commissioned for the town, after the anti-graffiti squad scrubbed it off. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Providing long-term rough-sleepers with a place of their own could save the Liverpool City Region (LCR) up to £4m a year, a study has found.

HIE has invested £25m in the project which will provide a new home for Inverness College UHI, an enterprise and research centre, a life science building, sports facilities and a hotel. The campus is being created on 215 acres (87ha) on the east side of the city. Infrastructure work is almost complete on 89 acres (36ha), HIE has said. Another part of the site will be turned into 30 acres (12ha) of parkland. Construction of the new £50m Inverness College UHI building is already well under way. It is due to be completed by next summer and available for the 2015-16 academic year. Once open, the new college will be able to accommodate more than 6,500 full-time and part-time students. Some areas of landscaping have already been finished on the campus, while an artist's impression gives an insight into how the reception zone of the new college will look. HIE has sought innovative designs for outdoor seating and bus shelters. But more traditional features, such as hand-built drystone walls, have also been added. An artificial lochan has also been constructed with a viewing platform giving views over it and parts of Inverness, including the Raigmore area. An outdoor gallery has been constructed on an island on the lochan. Dubbed the Island Gallery, it will be offered as an outdoor venue for cultural events. Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to access the campus using a crossing called the Golden Bridge. Lifting the span of the bridge into place required the closure of the A9 in April last year. The operation was to be done in a single night, but work was halted when a wheel section of one of the jacks buckled. The bridge was successfully installed the following night. After her Bercy arena concert on Wednesday, she tweeted she was heading to the Place de la Republique, which has become a shrine to those who died. Madonna, who is in the city for her Rebel Heart tour, was filmed singing along with her 10-year-old son David. She began by singing Ghosttown and then moved on to John Lennon's Imagine and her classic track Like A Prayer. Madonna's surprise appearance in the city also saw her accompanied by guitarist Monte Pittman, who is currently on tour with the artist. "She wanted to pay tribute, she loves this city," Pittman told AFP. "It is magical. I will never forget this." One hundred and thirty people were killed in Paris when gunmen and suicide bombers carried out a series of attacks in the French capital. Madonna told Wednesday night's onlookers: "Everybody knows why we're here… we just want to sing a few songs about peace, just to spread love and joy, and to pay our honour and respect to the people who died almost four weeks ago. "And to spread light… we all need it." Pete Hall, a British tourist, told AFP: "It was inspiring, it was raw, it was real. "She was paying her respects to Paris." Reaction on Twitter included praise from fan MadonnaEffect, who said: "Madonna yet again reminding me why she is my absolute IDOL. "So proud of her, she is the gift that just keeps on giving." At her concert earlier on Wednesday evening, Madonna had wrapped herself in the French flag and sang the country's national anthem, La Marseillaise. She told the audience: "We will not bend down to fear. I think of what happened almost four weeks ago now. The heart of Paris and the heart of France beats in the heart of each city. "I came here when I was 20 and it was here, in Paris, that I decided to make music. Thank you Paris for planting that seed in my heart."

On land just off the A9 on the edge of Inverness a new campus is being developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Madonna has given an impromptu performance in Paris in tribute to the victims of the 13 November attacks.

Officers issued the image of a hooded man wanted in connection with a knife incident in Little Wratting. One person wrote: "A man with eyes... Not too many of them around." Another said police were hunting "Darth Vader". The police said e-fits were "helpful" and the victim gave a detailed description of the man's eyes and hood. The artist's impression was released on Monday after a man was threatened with a knife in the town on Saturday morning. The suspect is described as a white man, aged in his late 30s to early 40s, around 5ft 10in tall, of skinny build with blonde hair. A Suffolk Police spokesman said: "The victim was able to describe in detail the offender's eyes, style of cap, hooded top and scarf worn across his face." He added some people have "come forward" since the e-fit appeal. But some, posting on the force's social networking site Facebook page, thought the picture was "a wind-up". Dozens of people commented, including one who wrote: "You'll never catch a ninja" and a number of people suggested it was "a waste" of the artist's time. Dr Samantha Lundrigan, senior lecturer in criminology at Anglia Ruskin University, in Cambridge, defended the e-fit. "Assuming that the facial features that are portrayed are accurate, then this man may well be recognisable to those that know him," she said. "As the e-fit clearly shows the suspect's eyes and some of his eyebrows, it is possibly not quite as useless as it first appears." DARD hires the services of private vets to test for tuberculosis in cattle. The arrangement has been in place for years, and until April 2014, DARD officials believed they only had to pay the vets' fees and VAT. However, HMRC has told them they should have also paid national insurance. It issued the £2m bill, backdated to 2009. A DARD spokesperson told the BBC that department officials were still negotiating with HMRC on the matter but added that they have now paid the requested arrears "on account without prejudice" while the talks continue. Ulster Unionist Robin Swann has accused DARD of making a "serious mistake" and said he was "shocked" when details of the £2m HMRC bill emerged during a recent meeting of Stormont's agriculture committee. He is a member of the committee that holds the department and its minister, Michelle O'Neill, to account. "This is money that the department can ill afford and it is also concerning that the minister had not highlighted this additional charge before now," the UUP MLA said. "It is clear that a serious mistake has been made somewhere along the line in regards to what the department's obligations were in paying for the services of private vets." Bovine TB is an infectious disease of cattle that affects about 6% of herds in Northern Ireland. DARD runs an EU Commission-approved eradication programme focused on the detection of diseased or high risk animals and for years, it has been hiring private veterinary practitioners (PVPs) to carry out the TB tests. "Until April 2014, DARD understood that it had a contract with PVPs to provide a service for which a fee and VAT was paid," a DARD spokesperson said in a statement. "HMRC then advised DARD that, in its opinion, the PVPs are office holders under the department's legislation. This means that for some PVPs, (depending on employment status within the veterinary practice) DARD is also responsible for making national insurance contributions on fees paid. "HMRC have claimed retrospective national insurance for these PVPS back to 2009 which, with interest, came to £2.01m. "The department secured funds for the arrears in the 2014/15 year and it was paid 'on account without prejudice' to HMRC while the issue is still under discussion," the statement added.

A Suffolk police e-fit showing only the eyes of a suspect has been described as "a ninja" and "a joke" on the force's Facebook page. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture (DARD) was hit with a £2m bill from HMRC because it did not pay vets' national insurance contributions.

Suhana Sayeed, 22, from the southern state of Karnataka, is a contestant on the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa programme. A Facebook page called Mangalore Muslims objected to her singing a Hindu devotional song while wearing a hijab. It accuses her of "tarnishing" Muslims by "singing before men" and says she should give up the headscarf as she does not "respect" it. Mangalore Muslims was created in 2012. A recent post claims the page is a "medium and voice" for Muslims. The page has over 46,000 likes, but received at least 2,000 new followers after local news outlets and a few national channels reported the targeting of Sayeed. The original post has since been deleted, but users have posted screenshots. Mangalore Muslims took down the first post but in a subsequent one, they said the comments were not a "personal" attack on Sayeed. However, they also accused her of betraying the Muslim community and trying to gain sympathy from judges by singing a Hindu devotional song. They also posted letters addressed to Sayeed, saying her performance on the TV show was "not Islamic". One letter sarcastically congratulated her on finding fame by embracing a "vulgar" medium. There are also more than 700 comments on various posts of Mangalore Muslims, many of which support Sayeed. "This page just divides people!" said one user. "Shame! There are so many Muslim singers singing Hindu devotional songs. Nobody bats an eye when Hindus sing quawali [form of Sufi devotional music]." Another said no one had the right to interfere in someone's life. "We have no rights to judge other's mistake. Only Allah can…" the user added. Another user said Pakistani Muslims were more tolerant than Mangalore Muslims, pointing out that many Muslims sang for the popular Pakistani music programme Coke Studio. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. Ahead of next week's Budget, the Treasury announced Whitehall would begin coming up with ways to contribute to its "efficiency review". It said the NHS and core schools budgets would not be included, with savings found by councils to be spent on under-pressure social services. Labour accused the government of "sneaking out... more Tory austerity". Departments have already faced significant cuts in their budgets since 2010, but they will now be told to find further savings of between 2% and 6% by 2019-20, the Treasury said, with up to £1bn to be reinvested in "priority areas". It added that the government would continue to spend spend 2% of GDP on defence, and it remains legally obliged to spend 0.7% on overseas aid. The planned savings are due to be introduced around the time the UK is scheduled to be leaving the EU, and just before the next general election. Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke said the government was committed to delivering services "in the most efficient way possible". He added: "There has been considerable progress, but there is further to go and the whole of government is working together to consider how we can live within our means while delivering maximum value for every pound of taxpayers' money." But shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the announcement showed Chancellor Philip Hammond "represents more of the same Tory austerity". "Sneaking out an announcement asking departments to model cuts of 3% to 6% for 2019-20 is no way to manage public spending," he said. "Hammond urgently needs to explain why this announcement was made in the way it was and why after seven years of failed austerity he thinks more of the same will now work." Mr Hammond will deliver the Budget on 8 March.

An Indian Muslim woman has been targeted for singing a Hindu devotional song on a talent show. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Government departments have been told to find spending cuts of up to 6% as part of plans to save £3.5bn by 2020.

Capita and Vodafone both supply paging services to customers that include emergency services and hospitals - but who else will be affected? Matt Dethomiere, a researcher from Worcester, told the BBC his pager was still going: "In 1994 I worked in IT support and bought a pager. It was a technical revolution at the time. Back then, phones were really expensive. It was the first kind of text messaging. "Mine is still going. I use it so people can get in touch with me via text or the operator. It's with me all the time. "With the pager, you can be quite anti-social. You don't have to talk to people. It's good for meetings as you can feel it buzzing on your belt. Also, it's a different number to your phone, so you can keep your phone number separate. "My pager seems to be stuck in 2013. Maybe the manufacturers had some sort of life span in mind. The correct date appears when I send a message but since 2013 it has stayed on the same year. "If pager services stop then I'll move on to the smartphone. I already use one. It was good while it lasted." Bill Bennett, a financial assistant for people with learning difficulties in Taunton, Somerset, also has a pager that works, but has a different use these days: "I got it when I was in middle school in the late 1990s. It was partly out of intrigue for any kind of new technology, and also because my mum needed to tell me when to come home. "It took one AAA battery and lasted about six months. My friend and I went together to buy one when we were 14 years old. We spent £20 each, which was a lot of money back then. It cost about 30p to call it. "The prices seem to have escalated. I think it's about £2.50 to phone it now. I leave myself a message every couple of years, just out of interest to see if it works. The same greeting I sent to the operator to read out still plays. "It served me well, but everything has moved on and I now have a smart phone. My two-year-old son likes to play around with it as it lights up, beeps and he can't break it. It's worth its weight in gold. "I think it will be missed in terms of nostalgia, but not missed when it comes to practicalities." Compiled by Sherie Ryder, BBC UGC and Social News hub. This is because there have been lots of reported "near misses" recently - where drones have almost crashed into things, which could've caused an accident. As a result the UK government are currently looking into making new strict safety rules about flying and owning drones. They have also been looking at bringing in tougher punishments for people flying a drone in a no-fly zone - like near an airport. There are already lots of restrictions in place for people flying drones in the UK. For example, any drone with a camera must not be flown within 50 metres of buildings, cars or crowds of people. Also, anyone using a drone as part of their business to make money, must register it with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The new government rules could mean that people have to take a test similar to one you might take when you learn to drive a car. This could apply to any drone weighing more than 250g. Some people think this new test could cost a lot of money and might be a bad idea. However government ministers think it might help to increase safety.

Vodafone has announced it will shut down its paging business after the competition watchdog threatened to investigate its sale to Capita. [NEXT_CONCEPT] People who buy a drone in the UK might have to register it and take a safety test in the future.

In an email, councillors have been told the council's budget gap was estimated to increase from £13.2m to £46.2m over the next three years. Key reasons include assumptions of a cut in grant funding and changes to pensions and National Insurance. Councillors will be asked to discuss the situation at a meeting next week. Senior officers said there will have to be reductions in services and staffing levels. Under the proposals, the amount of money paid to home owners and businesses producing electricity from roof-top solar and small wind turbines will be limited from January 2016. Subsidy schemes could be closed to new entrants from the start of next year. Ministers want to ensure that consumers who pay for the schemes through their bills get the best deal possible. They admitted in July that spending on renewable energy schemes was set to be higher than expected. Having already announced plans to limit cash paid to on-shore wind generation and large-scale solar farms, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is now proposing significant cutbacks for small-sized green energy producers. Solar and wind energy installations of less than 5MW are supported by feed-in tariffs - schemes that pay producers a subsidy for the electricity they generate, plus a bonus for any electricity exported back to the national grid. Under the new proposals, the amount to be paid from next year will fall to 1.63p per kilowatt hour from a current level of 12.92p for a new residential solar system. The consultation says that government spending on feed-in tariffs should be limited to between £75m and £100m from 2016 to 2018/19. But DECC warns that if that limit is breached then "the only alternative would be to end generation tariffs for new applicants as soon as legislatively possible," which is expected to be January next year. The Solar Trade Association (STA) says the proposals are not good news and the idea that the scheme might end for new entrants could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. "We regret that proposals to suddenly cut tariffs combined with the threat of closure of the scheme next January will spark a massive market rush," said Mike Landy from the STA. "This is the antithesis of a sensible policy for achieving better public value for money while safeguarding the British solar industry." In their risk assessment published with the proposals, the government acknowledges that there is a chance that the changes may result in "significantly reduced rates of deployment" but they expect the industry to prove resilient, and point to the fact that the UK has already exceeded installation levels for small-scale solar and wind that were expected by 2020. This rapid uptake of the technologies over the past few years means there has been considerable overspend on tariffs, according to the government, and that has to be curtailed. "Our support has driven down the cost of renewable energy significantly," said a DECC spokesman. "As costs continue to fall and we move towards sustainable electricity investment, it becomes easier for parts of the renewables industry to survive without subsidies. The consultation launched today is the next part of the action we promised to take to ensure bill payers get the best deal possible". Environmental groups were not impressed. Greenpeace pointed out that the government's maximum additional spend on green technologies by 2018 would be approximately half of what it spends subsidising the coal industry. Other groups called the changes "absurd". "Of course the feed-in tariff should fall as solar becomes cheaper, but the government clearly plans to remove support entirely," said Alasdair Cameron from Friends of the Earth. "This is politically motivated, and will take away power from people and hand it back to big energy firms." The consultation period on the proposed changes will run until 23 October. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc.

Highland Council senior management have warned councillors of a "significant worsening" in the local authority's projected financial position. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The UK government says it plans to significantly reduce subsidies paid to small-scale green power installations.

The probe leader Reverend Tom O'Donnell, said they would try "to determine if there was a canonical crime". Last month, a former government minister was arrested outside their convent near Buenos Aires. He was allegedly trying to hide almost $9m (£6.8m) in cash and jewels. Nuns working at the Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima religious community about 55km (35 miles) west of the capital Buenos Aires called the police after they saw a man throwing plastic bags full of money over a wall. He was allegedly Jose Lopez, who was the public works minister in the former government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. The media in Argentina recently showed CCTV footage allegedly showing Mr Lopez bringing the bags with wads of cash in several currencies and jewels into the convent, helped by two nuns. A total of four nuns are said to have helped him. One of them is due to appear next month before a judge. Since Argentina's new President, Mauricio Macri took over earlier this year, there have been a series of investigations of former officials for money-laundering. Dr Kevin Moore, the director of the National Football Museum, will lead a working group to look into potential location and funding opportunities. The heritage exhibition does not have a permanent home, with the archive stored at Heritage Quay in Huddersfield. "It is clear that there is a game-wide passion for heritage," Moore said. "A national museum will bring to life the characters and events that have helped shaped this great sport over the last 120 years and before. "We are looking at developing a high-quality museum that eclipses all other sports museums in the world, a facility that is immersive, interactive and educational and which contributes to the strategic objectives of the game." A location for the museum could be announced in 2016, with funding, design and construction processes to follow. Previously, former Great Britain, Dewsbury and Penrith Panthers hooker Mike Stephenson had established a museum at the birthplace of Northern Union, the George Hotel in Huddersfield. However, the closure of the venue in 2013 brought an end to the permanent display.

The Roman Catholic Church in Argentina has launched an investigation into whether four nuns helped to hide a hoard of cash and jewels. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Rugby league charity RL Cares has revealed plans to establish a National Rugby League Museum by 2020 and has commissioned a feasibility study.

The court heard a government claim that it would damage national security to hear full details of the evidence. The case has been brought by Libyan man Abdul Hakim Belhaj and his wife against MI6, various government departments and former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. Mr Belhaj says the government arranged in 2004 for him to be flown to Libya, where he was tortured by its regime. The north African country was ruled by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi at that time - and Mr Belhaj was a well-known dissident who opposed his regime. The UK Supreme Court has previously heard that he and his wife Fatima Boudchar claim they were was detained first in Malaysia and then Thailand in 2004 before being put on an American flight to Libya. They claimed that this was because MI6 alerted Libya as to their whereabouts - and that the UK government "arranged and assisted" in flying them to Libya. In the current hearing, the High Court was told of allegations that the British defendants were complicit in the alleged mistreatment of Mr Belhaj "and supplied questions for the interrogation" by Colonel Gaddafi's regime. Judge Mr Justice Popplewell ruled that disclosing sensitive material "would reveal operational details of the activities of the security services in relation to intelligence". He also stated that holding closed sessions in which the press, public and defence lawyers are locked out of court would allow the allegations to be heard by the court. "These claims are brought not only against the government, but against two named individuals who both wish to have a real and fair opportunity to defend themselves, but who cannot do do unless there is a closed material procedure." Such controversial procedures were created in 2013 as a result of a long legal battle fought by former British detainees in the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. They won compensation but the government argued it had not been able to defend itself in open court because it would have damaged national security. The Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that Mr Belhaj and Miss Boudchar should be allowed to bring their civil claim against the government. Mr Belhaj and Miss Boudchar are also suing former MI6 official Sir Mark Allen. Following today's judgement, Mr Belhaj said "Fatima and I have stuck with this case for all these years because we believe the British system, unlike Gaddafi's, can deliver justice. But what kind of a trial will it be if we put in a mountain of evidence and government officials can simply refuse to answer us? It's hard to see how this fits with Britain's long tradition of open justice." Police said Kyle McCusker lost control of his black Ford Mondeo and hit a traffic light pole and a bus stop pole. The car then overturned and hit the parked Vauxhall Corsa. The incident happened near the White House pub on Main Street in Holytown at about 00:35. Mr McCusker, from New Stevenston, died at the scene. Pc Craig Martin said: "We have spoken to a number of people from the pub who came out to help, but would also appeal to anyone who witnessed the crash, who has not already come forward, to contact officers at the Road Policing Department at Motherwell via 101."

A court case involving allegations MI6 colluded in torture can be held partly in secret, the High Court has ruled. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A 28-year-old man has died after his car overturned and hit a parked car outside a pub in North Lanarkshire in the early hours.

The 24-year-old South African wing scored Dragons' only try against the Italian team, who had conceded eight against Ospreys a week earlier. "A win's a win and any fan base should be happy with that," said Howard. "We would like the supporters just to support us and not scrutinise everything we do." Dragons face a much tougher test in their next Pro12 game when Munster visit Rodney Parade on Saturday, 17 September. Howard, who joined the Welsh region from Northampton in the summer, spent three months with the Irish province in the 2014-15 season, making his debut at Rodney Parade. He said the win over Zebre was more important than the quality of the performance. "I understand that people have their opinions but at the end of the day it was four points - that's what we needed, that's what we were going for however it came about," he added. Media playback is not supported on this device "Every team makes mistakes and it's our responsibility to put it right and we're going to do that the best we can but we need the support instead of the scrutiny. "It brings a lot of negativity. "You want positive energy from the crowd. It spurs you on and makes you do better - makes you want to drive over the line and score that try, but when they're doing that it's a sapping kind of thing. "We're going to need the support (against Munster) because you feel like you're under pressure not only from the other team but from the crowd for all your decisions." Dragons finished third from bottom in the 2015-16 season - with only Zebre and fellow-Italian side Benetton Treviso below them. Coach Kingsley Jones conceded the performance against Zebre was unimpressive - coming a week after a 29-8 defeat by Ulster. Monica Thompson says nurses were negligent in allowing her to breastfeed her four-day-old baby, Jacob, while sedated and without supervision. According to the lawsuit, nurses brought Mrs Thompson's son to her ward bed at around 03:00 on 6 August 2012. After drifting off, she awoke to find the infant unresponsive. Earlier that night she had been given "narcotic painkillers and sleep aids" by nurses at the Portland Adventist Medical Center in the state of Oregon, her lawsuit states. Her son had been born "healthy" by Cesarean section, according to the lawsuit. Six days after the accident, he was removed from life support, after doctors advised he would never recover from the brain damage. Mrs Thompson is seeking compensation for the baby's "desperation and anxiety" and her own "severe emotional distress upon unintentionally killing her firstborn child". "She called for a nurse while she tried to get him to respond," her lawsuit claims. "Mrs Thompson tried to stimulate her son's suckling reflexes without success. "She touched his eyes and got no response. She poked him and talked to him with no reaction. "When no nurse came to help, Mrs Thompson carried her son to the hallway and frantically yelled for help." The Portland Adventist Medical Center said in a statement: "This was a tragic event and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family. "Adventist Medical Center is committed to providing quality, compassionate care to all of our patients. "We are reviewing the claims being made and we are unable to provide any additional information at this time." The American Academy of Pediatrics has previously recommended infants should not sleep in the same bed with parents, due to the risk the child could be smothered under an adult's shifting weight. Some countries, such as Finland, have reduced their infant mortality rate by distributing cardboard box cribs to every new mother.

Pat Howard has called on Newport Gwent Dragons fans to get behind the team following their negative reaction to the scrappy 11-6 win over Zebre. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A US mother who accidentally smothered her newborn son as she slept is suing the hospital where his death occurred for $8.6m (£6.6m).

Cosla makes the call in its response to the Scottish government's commission on alternatives to the tax. It says the council tax should be reformed rather than replaced with more flexibility in the bands which properties are placed into. The Scottish government said it was examining fairer alternatives to the current system. Cosla's submission also says councils should have more power to levy other taxes. At the moment the council tax is levied at eight different levels - depending on the value of a property. But the charges in each band are tightly related to each other. Councils only set the Band D level - the council tax rates for each other band are a proportion of the Band D charge. The thinking is that a council could have the freedom, for instance, to increase the charges for people in the most expensive properties without expecting people in small or average properties to pay more. This is the first time Cosla has explicitly called for the end of the council tax freeze. The SNP promised to maintain the freeze in the 2011 Scottish elections. Cosla will be keen to try to influence each party's policy on local government ahead of Scottish elections next year. In its submission Cosla says: "The overall fairness and ease of understanding of the council tax requires to be improved by undertaking a wholesale revaluation, regular revaluation cycles thereafter and by addressing the number and widths of the council tax bands. "Operated effectively the council tax is designed to be determined locally and has a potentially strong link with democratic accountability. However this link has been significantly eroded by the council tax freeze and must be reinstated as a matter of urgency. "In particular we are clear that local people should decide on levels of local taxation in relation to the services they want and that it is completely inconsistent with a strong local democracy for this to be determined locally and enforced nationally. "We would therefore ask the commission to call for an immediate end to the council tax freeze and not wait for an alternative local taxation system to be developed and implemented." The council tax freeze has been in place since 2007. It works through a carrot and stick approach - councils would lose government cash if they put up the council tax so any rise would need to be significant to have an impact. Councils across Scotland are continuing to weigh up options for cuts and savings. Glasgow recently warned it would need to save £100 million in the next few years and that 3,000 jobs could go. The Scottish government argues that the council tax freeze has been a real help to family budgets. It also argues it has tried its best to protect councils from what it describes as Westminster austerity. The commission on alternatives to the council tax was announced last year by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. It has been taking evidence from interested parties and is expected to publish a report later this year. Other potential options for replacing the council tax might include a local income tax - an option supported by both the SNP and Liberal Democrats in the 2007 Scottish election - and a land-based tax, which is backed by the Scottish Greens. A Scottish government spokesman said: "Scottish ministers believe the current council tax system is unfair - that's why we have worked with our local government partners to freeze the council tax for the eighth consecutive year, providing £70m per annum. "All 32 councils have confirmed the continuation of the council tax freeze for 2015-16 delivering cumulative savings for an average Band D household, over the period 2008-16, of around £1,200 based on the additional £70m being provided each year. "We have now set up the cross-party commission on local tax reform jointly with Cosla, to examine fairer alternatives to the current system, and the commission will deliver its independent report in the autumn." The 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, who returned from a year off the track last month to finish second to Cue Card in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, is said to be "fragile" and "not himself". The Mark Bradstock-trained gelding underperformed in a gallop on Saturday. Bradstock's wife and assistant Sara said: "I know every breath he takes, every step he takes, I know exactly how he is and he's just not feeling good." Bradstock said on Twitter that next year's Gold Cup remains the priority for Coneygree.

The council tax freeze needs to end, according to the organisation that represents most of Scotland's councils. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Coneygree will miss the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Mamunal Islam was told by US online ticketing website Eventbrite the name "M Islam" matched one restricted by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control. The accountant, who is from Bedford, said this was "beyond racist". Eventbrite said it was "truly sorry" but "a person with a very common name is more likely to make the list". The funds were released after Mr Islam, who is a British citizen, provided information confirming his country of birth. Mr Islam was using the site to sell tickets for a film screening to raise money for a foodbank in Bedford. He said: "Islam is a common name in the UK and around the world. "It is counter-productive - discrimination like this can force young Muslim people, or anyone really, into the arms of extremists." Eventbrite is a website that allows organisations to sell tickets to the public. Mr Islam had used it nine times before for similar fundraising events without problems. Eventbrite said the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had only recently added "M Islam" to its list. Eventbrite denied the move was connected to President Trump's executive order banning travel by people from some majority Muslim countries, which was signed three days later. A spokesman for the company said: "As a US company, Eventbrite must comply with US law. "In this instance, a payment to the organiser was temporarily held because of a potential OFAC name match. "Whether that is J Smith or M Islam does not make the slightest difference." Bedford Conservative MP Richard Fuller has asked Eventbrite to look at the way it complies with the OFAC list, because "if you try to match a Mr Islam in Bedford, or in the UK, you can't find anyone - they're not on the list". Ray Woodhall, 54, said he suffered so many cardiac arrests a nurse apologised for having to beat his chest so much. He said another nurse told him the most resuscitations she had seen for a patient in arrest was seven. Mr Woodhall, from Wednesbury, West Midlands, estimates he needs six months to fully recover from his ordeal. "My last arrest was the most frightening," said the father-of-three who was treated at Worcestershire Royal Hospital which confirmed it activated an out-of-hours team of six specialist staff to address "multiple cardiac arrests". Mr Woodhall said his partner was holding his hand when "the alarm went off and I saw the crash team running in" and "she watched me die in front of her". "Dying," he said, was "like falling asleep", which is what he thought kept happening until medical staff told him "you went". He was first taken ill in the last match when he complained of "soreness" in his chest. He initially refused an ambulance before agreeing when his discomfort persisted. Paramedics told him he was having a heart attack and it was at hospital that the "arrests started". Mr Woodhall said there was an operation to fit him with two stents and by about 21:00 GMT on the day he became ill, his family left his bedside before being called back amid concerns he would not survive the night. Most of the cardiac arrests, he said, came between 21:00 GMT and 03:00 GMT the following morning. Mr Woodhall, a distributor for a soft drinks manufacturer, praised an "amazing" nurse who told him "the most resuscitations I've ever done was seven". His ordeal happened in December 2016. He says he is sharing his story to "give credit" to the hospital to which he has returned to see those who saved his life. The pedestrian, who police believe was 20 years old, was involved in a collision on the Tirkeeran Road in Garvagh at about 07:40 GMT on Thursday. Police have asked for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them. The road has re-opened.

A fundraiser had £400 in donations for a UK foodbank charity frozen after his "very common name" appeared on a restriction list for the US Treasury. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A man who had a heart attack after playing six 10 minute games of "walking football" says he "died" 27 times in hospital. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A man has died after he was hit by a car in County Londonderry.

Anne MacAskill, 67, from Skye, and her friend Kay Simpson, 69, will tackle the challenge later this year to raise money for charity. The venture will be carried out in a 22-year-old Renault Express in memory of Ms Simpson's late partner Duncan Strachan. The women will travel across Europe and Asia, starting in July. Rally entrants must finish the event by 12 September. Danny MacAskill has gained international acclaim and recognition for risky feats performed on a bike, including stunts on Skye's Cuillin Ridge and riding along rooftops in Gran Canaria. Videos of his stunts attract millions of internet hits. The short films include one shot at his family home on Skye that features his mother. On her forthcoming driving challenge, Mrs MacAskill said: "We have an agreement. I don't worry about him and he does not worry about me. "But he is delighted that I'm doing this. I've never done anything like it before." He named five people: Fifteen years later, these men still form President Putin's core group and dominate the strategic heights of Russian government and big business: This core group illustrates two important points about who runs Russia. First, there has been continuity in terms of the personnel closest to Mr Putin. Real reshuffles are rare, and very few have been evicted from this core group. Second, the heart of the leadership team is made up of allies who served with Mr Putin in the KGB, in 1990s St Petersburg, or both. This core group also includes others whom the president trusts to implement major infrastructure projects, such as Arkady Rotenberg, one of those responsible for the Sochi Winter Olympics, as well as several regional figures and senior bureaucrats. Many of these figures held senior positions even before Mr Putin's rise to power. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, formerly Minister of Emergency Situations, was a prominent party political figure in the second half of the 1990s and leader of the United Russia party from 2001-05. Such figures convene in the security council, one of the most important organisations for co-ordinating high-level decision-making and resources. At the same time, the Russian administrative system - the so-called vertical of power - does not function well: policy instructions are often implemented tardily and sometimes not at all, so others have important roles helping develop and implement projects. One such individual is Yuri Trutnev, elected as a regional governor in 2000, and then appointed Minister for Natural Resources and Ecology in 2004. In 2013, he was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary to the Russian Far Eastern Federal District, a high priority post for Mr Putin. Russian observers also point to the role played by Vyacheslav Volodin in helping Mr Putin run Russian politics since 2011. Mr Volodin rose through regional and then national party politics, before being appointed to government positions. He established the influential All-Russian Popular Front in 2011, which makes an increasingly significant contribution to formulation, implementation and monitoring of the leadership's policies. Mr Volodin was subsequently appointed First Deputy Head of the presidential administration, responsible for overseeing a "reset" of Russian domestic politics since 2012. Alongside continuity in the core leadership team, there has been a growing need for effective managers to implement its policies. Indeed, rather than shrinking, as some commentators have suggested, the leadership team appears to be expanding. There are several rising stars who play increasingly important roles in party politics and administration. One is 39-year-old Alexander Galushka, who is a member of the Popular Front and many of the president's and prime minister's advisory committees. He was appointed Minister of the Far Eastern region in 2013. This leads us to the final point about who runs Russia with Mr Putin - while the President is the central figure, he is part of a team, which itself is part of a system, and therefore highlights the importance of effectiveness in implementing tasks. All the individuals have reputations for hard work, loyalty and proven effectiveness in completing difficult tasks in business, state administration and politics. As one Russian close to Mr Putin has observed, he did not choose them for their pretty eyes, but because they get things done. Andrew Monaghan is a senior research fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House.

Stunt rider Danny MacAskill's mother is to take part in the 10,000-mile (16,093 km) Mongol Rally in an old van. [NEXT_CONCEPT] When Vladimir Putin first came to power, he was asked in an interview which of his colleagues he trusted most.

The 21-year-old from Newport was approaching the end of a two-year suspension imposed in 2014 for steroid use when he was a Wigan academy player. He was tested again in February 2016 and produced a positive result for the anabolic steroid nandrolone. Pugsley, capped by Wales in 2012, had been offered a deal by Whitehaven. "Rhys has single-handedly destroyed that promising career as a result of this second violation," UK Anti-Doping chief executive Nicole Sapstead said in a statement. "All athletes serving a sanction remain subject to testing throughout the course of their suspension, to mitigate the risk of them returning to sport and continuing to dope. "Rhys' conscious choice to continue to take performance-enhancing substances, whilst he was already serving a ban, has rightly been met with a further tough sanction. "We take this type of violation with the utmost seriousness and our message is clear - there is no place in sport for those who consciously dope." Pugsley was due to start playing for Whitehaven once his ban expired, but is now banned from all sport until March 2024. Investor-state disputes must be settled publicly and transparently, the parliament's new recommendations say. The recommendations were redrafted after MEPs put forward more than 100 amendments. Fierce arguments continue over the trade deal, known as TTIP. MEPs will vote on TTIP on Wednesday. A final deal could be reached next year. The TTIP - which stands for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership - is being negotiated by the European Commission - the EU's top regulator - but parliamentary approval will be required to make the deal law. The Commission estimates that by 2027 it could boost the size of the EU economy by €120bn (£85bn; $132bn) - equal to 0.5% of GDP. The EU Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmstroem, voiced support for the parliament's recommendations, calling the document "a vital basis for that negotiation". One of the thorniest TTIP issues is investor protection. There is widespread opposition to commercial arbitration panels, called Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). Critics say that even the threat of a legal case from a powerful corporation could have a "chilling" effect on national legislators as they try to regulate public services, such as healthcare and transport. Many anti-TTIP protesters in Europe fear that such a deal could fuel a "race to the bottom", watering down hard-won EU standards in areas like food safety and workers' rights. The MEPs' recommendations reject ISDS as a model for settling trade disputes. Instead, they call for treatment of cases "in a transparent manner by publicly appointed, independent professional judges in public hearings". TTIP should also "trust the courts of the EU and of the member states and of the United States to provide effective legal protection". Supporters of ISDS say it was designed to protect Western firms from abuses, such as arbitrary expropriation, in states with inadequate judicial systems. But opponents argue that courts in the EU and US have high legal standards, and that businesses should seek redress there, not in separate tribunals. "Now it is clear that ISDS has to be replaced by a public court," said the parliament's lead negotiator on TTIP, German Socialist Bernd Lange.

Wales rugby league international Rhys Pugsley has been banned for eight years after failing a drug test for the second time in two years. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A proposed EU-US free trade deal must not give big firms the power to sue governments in private, secretive courts, the European Parliament says.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named, had downed a litre of vodka when he called at the Swansea home of Jean Thyer on 28 September last year. He admitted stealing the pensioner's purse but had denied burglary during his trial at Swansea Crown Court. Sentencing was adjourned until 13 February for reports to be prepared. During the trial, the court heard Mrs Thyer was found collapsed at her home in Killay, Swansea, the morning after the teenager's late evening visit. The regular church-goer, who had lived at her address for over 50 years, died in hospital within a few days. Jurors heard the teenager, who was 15 at the time, claimed he called at the victim's home because he was lost, and had no intention of burglary. He claimed he stole her purse "on the spur of the moment," running off as the widow was on the phone calling a neighbour for help. But a jury took just four hours to reject that version of events and unanimously found him guilty. Mark Ellis, 57, denies carrying out sex attacks on the child in 1991 when he was aged around 10. A jury heard claims that Mr Ellis, who ran a football team and training school in South Lanarkshire, threatened to kill both the boy and himself if the abuse was disclosed. His accuser said he now "wanted justice" for the "wee boy" he once was. Mr Ellis, who now lives in Birmingham, is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow where he denies a charge of behaving in a lewd and libidinous manner. The jury heard how the alleged victim "just loved football". He went on to be coached by Mr Ellis, who knew members of the boy's family. Some of the abuse is said to have happened at their home when he visited, including the first alleged attack on Easter Sunday in 1991. The alleged victim said he remembered initially being "scared" that day as the coach had turned up appearing "very angry". He said he was then abused at Mr Ellis' flat in Biggar, South Lanarkshire. Prosecutor Shanti Maguire asked: "By the time it got to this stage, did you ever want to tell anyone?" He replied: "No - this was because Mark threatened that he would have to kill the two of us if I told anyone." The jury heard the boy was also allegedly preyed on at a local sports club. Another incident is said to have happened after Mr Ellis drove in his Land Rover to outside a darkened ambulance depot. This was said to have happened after their team had suffered a heavy defeat. The witness told the trial: "I can remember Mark took me home that night. "I remember him saying we had got beat, but that I had played well." He went on to recall the last time he spoke with Mr Ellis around that time, stating he had had "enough". The alleged victim told the court: "I remember saying 'kill me if you want'. "I remember looking at Mark and he seemed broken. I really could not stand the sight of him by then." He then recalled being "delighted" when he found out Mr Ellis had later moved out of the area. The witness said he did not reveal what allegedly happened until years later when he initially spoke to a friend. He was described as being "completely broken and distraught". In around 2005 - joined by a number of relatives - he was said to have then turned up at Mr Ellis's now home in the Midlands to confront him. The court heard that his mother challenged Mr Ellis stating: "You think you have ruined my son, but you have not." The accuser told the jury: "Mark said: 'I am sorry'. He kept saying sorry, sorry. "He also said: 'I knew that this day was coming'." Miss Maguire asked him if he had any reason to lie about Mr Ellis. He replied: "No, none at all. I don't know if I even hate him. I just want justice for that wee boy." The prosecutor went on: "That wee boy being yourself?" The witness said: "Yes." Louise Arrol, defending, later put to the witness that the jury may hear that he was never abused by Mr Ellis. Miss Arrol said: "Do you reject that?" to which the witness replied: "I totally reject that." The trial, before Judge Johanna Johnston QC, continues.

A schoolboy has been found guilty of burgling the home of a 90-year-old widow who suffered a stroke within hours and later died. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A boys' football coach has gone on trial charged with the abuse of a young player.

The Silkmen led 2-0 in little more than a quarter of an hour, Neil Byrne heading the opener from Danny Whitaker's cross before Andy Halls set up a near-identical second for Anthony Dudley. Ryan Higgins halved the deficit three minutes before half-time, cutting in from the right and firing home from 30 yards. Byrne saw a long-range effort pushed wide by Chris Cheetham and Mitch Hancox headed against the bar from close range as the visitors sought to kill the game off, but two goals proved to be enough. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Southport 1, Macclesfield Town 2. Second Half ends, Southport 1, Macclesfield Town 2. Substitution, Southport. Richard Brodie replaces Declan Weeks. Substitution, Southport. Andrai Jones replaces Jamie Allen. Substitution, Southport. Jim Stevenson replaces Liam Hynes. Second Half begins Southport 1, Macclesfield Town 2. First Half ends, Southport 1, Macclesfield Town 2. Goal! Southport 1, Macclesfield Town 2. Ryan Higgins (Southport). Spencer Myers (Southport) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Southport 0, Macclesfield Town 2. Anthony Dudley (Macclesfield Town). Goal! Southport 0, Macclesfield Town 1. Neill Byrne (Macclesfield Town). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up. 15 Ebrill 2017 Diweddarwyd 17:02 BST Mae 'Ymgyrch Darwen' yn cael ei gynnal rhwng cyfnod y Pasg a dechrau'r hydref ac mae wedi'i anelu at godi ymwybyddiaeth ynglŷn â diogelwch beicwyr modur. Y llynedd yn y Gogledd yn unig gafodd 7 eu lladd a 79 yn eu hanafu yn ddifrifol wedi damweiniau yn ymwneud a beiciau modur. Dywedodd yr Arolygydd Alun Davies o Heddlu'r Gogledd: "Rydym eisiau i bobl ddod yma i fwynhau'r ardal ond rydym eisiau i bobl fod yn saff ar y ffyrdd a pharchu'r bobl sy'n byw yma". Adroddiad Elin Gwilym. The CIPS/Markit composite purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 54.1, compared with 53.6 a month earlier - its highest reading in 49 months. A reading above 50 indicates growth, while a reading below 50 suggests a fall in activity. Markit said the services sector had seen its best quarter for four years. In addition, factories enjoyed their best quarter of production growth for a year, "highlighting the broad-based nature of the upturn". Employment and new orders also rose at their strongest rates for four years in the second quarter. "Despite the cloud of the Greek debt crisis hanging over the region, the eurozone saw economic growth accelerate to a four-year high in June," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. "The PMI is signalling GDP growth of 0.4% for the region as a whole in the second quarter." The eurozone's gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.4% in the first quarter, according to official figures. Mr Williamson added that the eurozone's economy was on course to grow by 2% this year, "though much of course depends on the outcome of the Greek debt negotiations and any resulting impact on growth in the second half of the year". Business activity picked up in both Germany and France in June, but Germany saw a weaker growth rate in the second quarter compared with the first. Excluding France and Germany, the rest of the eurozone recorded its best performance for eight years, Markit said.

Macclesfield kept their National League play-off hopes alive with a 2-1 win at bottom club Southport. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Mae ymgyrch sydd wedi'i anelu at leihau nifer y marwolaethau ac anafiadau difrifol sy'n ymwneud â beicwyr modur ar ffyrdd gogledd Cymru yn parhau. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The eurozone's economic recovery is continuing, a survey has suggested, with business output growing at its fastest rate in four years in June.

The poll, triggered by the death of long-serving Labour MP Michael Meacher, is the first major electoral test for party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Labour is defending a 14,738 majority from May's general election. But it faces a threat from UKIP in what is the first by-election of the current Parliament, with results expected early on Friday morning. Full list of declared candidates: Conservative: James Daly Green Party: Simeon Hart Labour: Jim McMahon Liberal Democrat: Jane Brophy Monster Raving Loony: Sir Oink A-Lot UKIP: John Bickley General Election 2015 result The incident happened at about 16:30 on Monday outside the Co-op in High Croft in Kelso. The victim was with her 12-year-old son when she was verbally abused and slapped in the face by a man she had earlier had a confrontation with. Following the assault, her attacker left the car park in a large, black 2015 registration plate vehicle. Police described him as white, aged 25 to 30, with a plump build, round face and short dark hair. PC Alex Cain said: "This was a very frightening ordeal for the woman as it was witnessed by her son who became highly distressed and agitated after. "I'm asking for anyone who was within the car park at the time and that can assist police with their inquiries to come forward."

Polls have closed in the by-election to elect a new MP for Oldham West and Royton. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A 44-year-old woman has been assaulted in front of her son in a supermarket car park in the Scottish Borders.

The 44-year-old man was taking part in a fundraising event for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice when he collapsed and died near Chirk, Wrexham, on the A5. A spokesman thanked the riders and the emergency services for their "genuine display of consideration". The rides on Sunday covered routes from Stoke-on-Trent to Llangollen. Hospice chief executive David Webster said: "I have been made aware that other participants in the event stopped and tried to help the cyclist whilst waiting for the arrival of the emergency services. "We thank everyone for their kindness and genuine display of consideration for their fellow event participant, who was not known to them personally. "We share their sadness and deep regret that nothing could be done to help the cyclist." The man, who was from Staffordshire, has not been named by police. Their research analysed the work habits and brain test results of about 3,000 men and 3,500 women aged over 40 in Australia. Their calculations suggest a part-time job keeps the brain stimulated, while avoiding exhaustion and stress. The researchers said this needed to be taken into consideration as many countries raise their retirement age. Data for the study was drawn from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, which is conducted by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economics and Social Research at the University of Melbourne. It looks at people's economic and subjective well-being, family structures, and employment. Those taking part were asked to read words aloud, to recite lists of numbers backwards and to match letters and numbers under time pressure. In general terms, those participants who worked about 25 hours a week tended to achieve the best scores. "Work can be a double-edged sword, in that it can stimulate brain activity, but at the same time, long working hours and certain types of tasks can cause fatigue and stress which potentially damage cognitive functions," the report said. Colin McKenzie, professor of economics at Keio University who took part in the research, said it would appear that working extremely long hours was more damaging than not working at all on brain function. The figures suggest that the cognitive ability of those working about 60 hours a week can be lower than those who are not employed. However, Geraint Johnes, professor of economics at Lancaster University Management School, said: "The research looks only at over-40s, and so cannot make the claim that over-40s are different from any other workers. "What the authors find is that cognitive functioning improves up to the point at which workers work 25 hours a week and declines thereafter." He added: "Actually, at first the decline is very marginal, and there is not much of an effect as working hours rise to 35 hours per week. Beyond 40 hours per week, the decline is much more rapid."

Organisers of a charity bike ride have praised participants for trying to save a cyclist's life after he collapsed part of the way through. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Workers aged over 40 perform at their best if they work three days a week, according to economic researchers.

Media playback is not supported on this device Mitchell began the race for the United States, who went through to Friday's final as the second fastest team despite Mitchell's injury. "As soon as I took the first step past the 200m mark, I felt it break." Manteo told the USA Track and Field website. "I didn't want to let the three guys or the team down, so I just ran on it." Mitchell still managed to finish the opening lap in 46.1 seconds as the US team, also featuring Joshua Mance, Tony McQuay and Bryshon Nellum, went on to set a qualifying time of two minutes, 58.87 seconds. "It hurt so bad," the 25-year-old added. "I'm pretty amazed that I still split [close to] 45 seconds on a broken leg." USA Track and Field chief executive Max Siegel said: "Manteo has become an inspiration and a hero for his team-mates. "Without his courage and determination to finish, Team USA would not be at the starting line in the final. The team has rallied around him and we are all looking forward to the final days of competition." The US men's team are the defending champions and have won every 4x400m Olympic title that they have contested. Actor Brian Cox appears in two of the films, a comedy, The Carer, and a western, Forsaken, which also stars Donald and Kiefer Sutherland. Braveheart actor Angus Macfadyean will bring his first film as a director, Macbeth Unhinged, to the festival. The film is a modern, black and white retelling of the Shakespearean tragedy. Scot Dougray Scott will be starring in the apocalyptic thriller The Rezort. The 70th edition of the film festival runs from 15-26 June. It will include feature films, shorts, documentaries and animations. The opening night gala will feature the world premiere of Jason Connery's drama Tommy's Honour, about Scottish golfing pioneer Old Tom Morris and starring Peter Mullan and Jack Lowden. It is based on a true story and focuses on Morris's turbulent relationship with his son, Tommy. The festival will close with the world premiere of Gillies Mackinnon's Whisky Galore, featuring Gregor Fisher, James Cosmo, Kevin Guthrie, Sean Biggerstaff and Eddie Izzard. Mark Adams, artistic director said: "We are delighted to once again cast the spotlight on great Scottish talent at this year's festival. It speaks so much about the breadth and variety of filmmakers, craftspeople and performers that our selection of projects featuring local talent shines so brightly." Natalie Usher, director of screen at Creative Scotland, said: "EIFF is a key event in Scotland's cultural calendar, offering audiences inspirational, world-class cinema. "EIFF is recognising and celebrating the wealth and depth of home-grown filmmaking talent supported by Creative Scotland." The festival will also have a special screening to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Danny Boyle's Trainspotting and a world premiere screening of the newly 4K restored Highlander, attended by the film's star Clancy Brown.

American runner Manteo Mitchell has revealed he ran the last 200m of the Olympic men's 4x400m relay heats with a broken left leg. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The Scottish films to be screened at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival have been announced in Cannes.

Hannah Pearson's body was found at a house in Newark, Nottinghamshire, last July, after she had gone there with James Morton, 24. Mr Morton told a jury at Nottingham Crown Court he was curious about putting his hands round a girl's neck, having seen it in a film. He insisted his actions were consensual and the death an accident. The court heard Ms Pearson and her boyfriend had met Mr Morton that day, but only she accompanied him back to the house. After drinking he said he settled her down fully clothed to go to sleep but they started kissing and she agreed to him putting his hands on her neck. Defence lawyer Shaun Smith QC asked Mr Morton: "When you put your hands round Heather Pearson's neck did you mean to do her any harm?" Mr Morton replied: "Not at all" "Was it your intention to kill her?" Mr Smith asked. "Not at all" replied Mr Morton. "Was there any reason you wanted her dead?" "No" The prosecution has claimed Mr Morton increasingly enjoyed the sensation of strangling women even though he knew it was dangerous. The trial continues. Grant Adams, 17, cut his neck on one of the light bulbs when he fell on to the sun bed at the address on South Frederick Street early on Sunday. He was taken to hospital with critical injuries and underwent a five-hour operation. He died on Monday evening. His mum, Amanda Smedley, said she "cannot believe he's gone". Miss Smedley said she found her son, who was an apprentice bricklayer, "in a pool of blood". She said: "He stumbled out of bed, tripped and the bottom of the sunbed tubes went into his neck and when he pulled it out of his neck he stumbled down the stairs. "My boyfriend tried to keep the blood from pumping out of his neck until the paramedics came." Miss Smedley said his baby girl, which is due in two months, is the "only thing" she has got left of him. She said: "He was a happy-go-lucky fun-loving lad. He was a bricklayer and all he did was work, sleep, work, sleep. "It's his 18th birthday in two weeks time, he had just bought a car, he's got a baby on the way, he had everything to live for, everything."

A man has denied murdering a 16-year-old girl, telling a court he had no reason to want her to die. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A teenager has died in hospital after cutting his neck open on a sunbed and then falling down the stairs at a flat in South Shields.

Mohammed Khalid Jamil, 34, from Luton, hired people at an Indian call centre to falsely tell victims their computers had a serious problem. The targets would be charged between £35 and £150 for software Microsoft made available for free. As well as the suspended sentence, Jamil was ordered to pay a £5,000 fine. He must also pay £5,665 compensation and £13,929 in prosecution costs. The decision has been hailed as a "landmark" case by Trading Standards. "We believe it may be the first ever successful prosecution of someone involved in the Microsoft scam in the UK," said Lord Harris, chairman of the National Trading Standards Board, which oversees the work of the National Trading Standards e-crime team. "It's an important turning point for UK consumers who have been plagued by this scam, or variants of it, for several years. "Many have succumbed to it, parting with significant sums of money, their computers have been compromised and their personal details have been put at risk. "Now that one of the many individuals who've been operating this scam has been brought to justice, it's a stark warning to anyone else still doing it that they can be caught and will be prosecuted." Jamil had set up Luton-based company Smart Support Guys, which employed people based in India to cold-call Britons and claim to be working for Microsoft. The victims, unaware of the scam, would offer remote access to the fraudsters - meaning their computers could be controlled from a different location. Once given this access, targets' computers would be made less secure, at which point the scammers would offer, in return for a fee, to install software to fix the problem. The software installed was available for free on Microsoft's website. In court, Jamil admitted to unfair trading by allowing his staff to make false claims regarding computer support services. He claimed he had tried but failed to control call centre staff and not adequately supervised them. His jail term is suspended for 12 months. Initially due to open in August 2016, the 8,000 capacity stadium will be home to the football club and the York City Knights rugby league club. In July, York City had said it did not believe the stadium would be ready until December 2016. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat run council has blamed the previous Labour administration for the delay. Councillor Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat executive member for leisure, said: "It remains immensely frustrating that so little progress was achieved under Labour. They failed to lay a brick in the ground and left behind a project with a number of flaws. "These included a fractured relationship with the York City Knights and an overly complex procurement process which has meant the project couldn't be delivered in time for the 2016-17 season." Mr Ayre said the scheme remained on budget and construction on the site, at Jockey Lane, Huntington, would begin in early 2016. The Labour group said given the size of the scheme it was bound to be complex and the ruling group on the council was trying to deflect attention from the latest delay by blaming Labour. Deputy leader, Councillor Stuart Barnes, said: "Let's be crystal clear about the facts behind today's announcement from the Tories and Lib Dems. What's been announced is a major delay. "Labour left the community stadium project having secured planning approval and with an accurate business plan including the budget." York FC will continue to play at Bootham Crescent until the new stadium is finished. Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas was punished for unsportsmanlike conduct after the two incidents in a Wimbledon doubles game. Partner Marcel Granollers was fined £5,800 for his part in the protest. The pair lost Monday's third-round match 6-3 4-6 6-4 3-6 14-12 to Britain's Jonny Marray and Adil Shamasdin of Canada. Cuevas was refused permission for a toilet break by umpire Aurelie Tourte, so threatened to relieve himself in a ball can on court - leading to his first code violation. His second came when he hit the ball out of the court in frustration after double-faulting, which prompted his sit-down protest with Spaniard Granollers. A supervisor had to be called to get the match started again and play was delayed for 10 minutes. Cuevas was fined £3,100 and £3,850 for the separate incidents. You can now add tennis alerts in the BBC Sport app - simply head to the menu and My Alerts section

A man who ran a Microsoft computer scam tricking people into paying for free anti-virus software has received a suspended four-month jail sentence. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A new £37m stadium for York City FC will not be operational until the spring of 2017, York City Council said. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A player who threatened to urinate in a ball can on court, then staged a sit-in protest during a match, has been fined almost £7,000.

UKIP failed to win any seats in Wales, whilst in England it lost 145 councillors and only got one elected. Neil Hamilton said UKIP voters who had returned to the Tories would come back because of immigration concerns. He told BBC Wales his party "started to slide down a cliff" when the prime minister called the general election. Speaking on Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales programme, Mr Hamilton said: "It's certainly a very disappointing result but I've been in politics a very long time, I've seen landslides come and go and come back again and UKIP will live to fight another day. "It's quite clear looking at the opinion polls over the last few weeks that as soon as Theresa May called a general election we started to slide down a cliff, because this has become a bit of a referendum in itself on the Brexit process I think." UKIP won no council seats in Wales, despite fielding 80 candidates. In England all 145 of the party's councillors defending seats lost, but UKIP did take a seat from Labour in Lancashire. Mr Hamilton said he was sure UKIP would "revive to its former eminence" but "we may have to wait a while". "A lot of people who had previously been Conservatives and voted for UKIP in order to get the referendum have now gone back to the Conservatives," he said. "But I believe that will be only temporary because a lot of people voted for the referendum for control of our borders and I don't think Theresa May will want to introduce the kind of immigration controls that these people wanted to see." Intercity and commuter rail services and Dublin Bus and DART services were seriously affected on Friday morning. Rail and bus services crossing the Irish border were also impacted as a result of the action. But, Enterprise trains and Translink coaches between Dublin to Belfast have resumed and are running as normal. Bus Éireann services from Belfast to Dublin Airport and Dublin city, and from Londonderry to Dublin are not operating as a result of the strikes. Translink is advising people hoping to use its services to check its website and social media for updates. Staff at Bus Éireann have been on strike since last Friday in a dispute over cuts to pay and working conditions. Management has said the changes are essential to avert the prospect of insolvency at the loss-making company. The company said the vast majority of services were not operating as a result of the action. The National Bus and Railworkers' Union (NBRU) said it had told its members that the unofficial pickets should be removed as they had not been sanctioned by the union. He added that all workers at Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Bus who are members of the NBRU should be at work as normal. He apologised for the inconvenience to travellers and said he was angered when he heard of the action, which his union would not support. Mr O'Leary said, however, that Bus Éireann drivers were frustrated and they way they are being treated by the company is an "absolute disgrace". Irish Transport Minister Shane Ross said he was "actively monitoring developments" and said he regretted the impact on passengers. The 20 year-old can play either as a striker or winger and has featured three times in the Swansea Under-23 side in the Football League Trophy this season. He joins club-mate Liam Shephard at Huish Park. Manager Darren Way has also signed Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro and Kabongo Tshimanga on transfer deadline day. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here. Stuart Teese had not been seen since leaving his home in Bearsden on Saturday evening. Police Scotland appealed for information on Monday after becoming "increasingly concerned" for his welfare. But officers said he had been traced "safe and well" in the Loch Lomond area on Tuesday afternoon.

UKIP will "live to fight another day" despite poor local election results, the party's leader in the Welsh Assembly, Neil Hamilton, has insisted. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Some bus and rail services in the Republic of Ireland have returned to normal after unofficial pickets linked to a Bus Éireann strike were lifted. [NEXT_CONCEPT] League Two side Yeovil Town have signed Owain Jones from Swansea City on loan until the end of the season. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A man missing from his home in East Dunbartonshire since the weekend has been found.

Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said it was a resolution for economic stability, peace and development. The UN said countries should protect governments from minority creditors who refuse to go along with the majority in mutually agreed debt restructuring. Argentina has been fighting US hedge funds who are demanding full payment on defaulted bonds. The hedge funds had refused to go along with the majority of the country's creditors and accept a restructuring deal. Argentina defaulted in 2001. The hedge funds scooped up its bonds at a fraction of the price and have since won US court backing to claim full payment. Argentina struck repayment deals in 2005 and 2010 with more than 90% of its creditors. The government argues that if it pays the hedge funds the full amount, it would undermine the basis for the repayment deals struck with its other creditors. Some Caribbean countries have faced the same problem as Argentina. Tom Crawford has been in a dispute with Bradford & Bingley, who claim he owes £43,000 in mortgage payments. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Nottingham County Court, where Judge Nigel Godsmark was due to rule on an appeal against an earlier decision. But he reserved his judgement after suspending the hearing twice. Judge Godsmark said commotion outside the court meant proceedings could not continue. "What is happening out there is an attempt to disrupt the process," he told the court. He said he refused to conclude "if there's the risk of serious public disorder." The wrangle between Mr Crawford and Bradford & Bingley began in 2012. Mr Crawford, who has been treated for cancer, claims he has paid off the endowment mortgage he took out in 1988 and the terms of his mortgage were changed without his knowledge. Last year, a court ruled in favour of a debt recovery firm which took on the outstanding balance, and Mr Crawford was told to pay or lose his home. Support for Mr Crawford came from across the country after a Facebook group was set up. In January, more than 250 people blocked bailiffs from evicting him and wife Sue from their home. Mr Crawford, of Fearn Chase, Nottingham said the public support he had received over his eviction appeal had been "fantastic". "If it wasn't for these people, they would have taken our home," said the 64-year-old. "This support is what everyone should get. There's a lot of homes taken from people who don't owe any money and they are railroaded by the banks." As proceedings resumed, Nicole Sandells, for Bradford & Bingley said: "This is not a case where the bank is asked to turn it into a repayment mortgage and has failed to do so. "The bank offered to amend this to repayment if requested and that was not accepted." Ms Sandells said permission for an appeal against the eviction order should not be granted and the repossession could still go ahead.

Argentina has welcomed a UN resolution creating a new global framework for sovereign debt restructuring. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A judge has said he will deliver his verdict in a long-running eviction battle via e-mail due to fears the judgement would spark disorder.

This would be enough seven-inch records to stretch 16 times round the earth, the study of sales since 1952 stated. The Official Charts Company said purchases peaked in the 1980s, before digital formats were established, when 640 million singles were sold. Its managing director Martin Talbot said the figures gave an insight into singles sales never seen before. He said: "Working on historic statistics from so long ago to create data reflecting sales to consumers has required diligent research and attention to detail. "And, while it is unlikely to ever be possible to arrive at exact totals for those early years due to the nature of the data available, we are confident that these figures give us the clearest picture yet published of the development of singles sales across the six decade history of the Official Singles Chart." The biggest selling single in the boom time for chart sales was Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?, released in 1984. There have been more than 1,200 number one singles since the first chart was published in the NME six decades ago. Take That frontman Gary Barlow, who has topped the chart 14 times in his career, said: "Number ones are incredible and I don't care how many you've had in the past it still feels amazing to have a number one, in some cases even better if it's your 12th or 15th or whatever it is. It's a brilliant feeling." The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) looks at the state of council-owned roads in England and Wales. Compared to last year, the cost has dropped by more than £100m but the time it would take has risen by three years. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said an extra £172m was spent between 2012-13 and 2014-15, cutting the number of roads in a poor state. An ageing network, "decades of underfunding", increased traffic and wetter winters were all blamed for the problem. The AIA's Annual Local Authority Maintenance (ALARM) survey, said the estimated one-time cost to get Wales' roads into a decent state would be £591.5m, an average of just under £26.9m per council. This compares to £12.06bn for England and Wales. AIA's survey said the average time before a road was resurfaced in Wales was 63 years, compared to 55 years in England. The AIA said councils were doing all they could with the money available, but there came a point where no further efficiency savings could be made. Just over 141,000 potholes were filled in Wales in 2016, but nearly one in five local authority-maintained roads were reported as having a useful lifespan of less than five years. The average structural maintenance budget shortfall was £3.7m per council. A WLGA spokesman said a local government borrowing initiative (LGBI) allowed the extra cash to be spent on long-term planning, rather than a reactive response to patching up roads. He added: "In order to sustain such improvement there has to be continued investment and the WLGA has been in discussion with Welsh Government about the possibility of a further round of the LGBI to maintain and improve condition of the network. "This could help to deal with additional pressures caused by heavier lorries and could form part of a necessary response in Wales."

Britons have bought 3.7 billion music singles since the UK chart was launched 60 years ago, figures have revealed. [NEXT_CONCEPT] It would cost nearly £600m and take nine years to get Wales' roads into a reasonable condition, a study has said.

Some 222 offenders under supervision in the community were charged with crimes including murders, manslaughters or sexual offences in 2014/15. More than 68,000 sexual and violent offenders are under such arrangements. The Ministry of Justice said such reoffending remained rare - but the probation union blamed privatisation. The figures released by the ministry relate to offenders managed under a system called Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements, or Mappa. It requires probation services, the police and other agencies to supervise sexual and violent offenders. The precise level of monitoring depends on the each offender's circumstances and the potential risk they are judged to pose. Those deemed the highest risk must undergo regular and active assessment of their behaviour. Officials have the power to send someone back to jail. The figures show the number of serious further offences rose from 174 a year earlier. Tania Bassett, national officer for the probation union NAPO, said: "We are starting to see the Mappa process falling apart in some areas, partly due to the privatisation of probation, which means the exchange in information between agencies is not quick enough. "This is a massive jump which deserves close analysis of the figures." "The liaison officers came on the Thursday night to tell us that he had been killed the previous evening. There were over 80 injuries to his head and his body and the man dumped him in the River Taff. It was a terrible, terrible, brutal death." Read more: BBC Radio 5 live Investigates asks whether the system to manage dangerous offenders when they are released from prison is keeping people safe. The number of individuals committing a serious offence amounts to less than 1% of all those within the system - and eight out of 10 of the crimes were committed by offenders subject to the lowest levels of Mappa monitoring. Seventy-six of them were sexual offenders. Only one of the 551 offenders subjected to the tightest forms of monitoring went on to commit one of the most serious offences - the lowest number since 2006. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Mappa manage some of the highest risk offenders once they have served their prison sentence. Serious further offences are rare but each one is taken extremely seriously and investigated to make sure the right lessons are learned. "A recent report by the independent Probation and Police Inspectorates found improvements had been made to Mappa over the last four years." The total number of offenders supervised under the system rose 5% because of an increase in the number of registered sexual offenders. Thurso-based O'Brien Construction will construct the £1.9m building at Forsinard in Sutherland for the Peatlands Partnership. The partnership involves several organisations including RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage. Conservation workers and university groups will use the field centre. Designed by Colin Armstrong Associates in Inverness, the building was given planning consent by Highland Council's north planning applications committee. It is being built on land owned by RSPB Scotland between the existing railway line and the A897.

The number of serious crimes committed by violent and sex offenders being monitored after leaving prison has risen more than 28%, figures show. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A contractor has been appointed to build a new research centre in the Flow Country, a vast area of peatland in Scotland's Far North.

Police were alerted after paramedics went to an address in Raglan Way, Chelmsley Wood, at about 09:30 GMT. The women were both pronounced dead at the scene. Their deaths are being treated as unexplained, West Midlands Police said. Post-mortem examinations will take place to establish the cause. Police are not currently seeking anyone else in connection with the deaths. Many have travelled back from temporary accommodation in nearby areas in the hope of rescuing their homes, businesses and belongings. Here, one Fort McMurray resident, 40-year-old Kory Walsh, describes his return on Thursday and the challenges ahead for the people - and pets - of the Canadian oil city. "I just pulled back into Fort McMurray after being in Edmonton for the past month, following the evacuation. I've never felt better than I did driving back here on the highway today. There were fire trucks parked on the bridges on the way into town, hanging Canadian flags. If that doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you don't have a heart. There are not a lot of businesses open yet. It is still a voluntary return for many. I have a pet store that I have to get back off the ground. My wife has already returned and is working and staying at an oil facility 50km north of the city. My firefighter friend, who's my business partner, managed to grab the 10 or so pets that we had in the store and evacuate them to other towns, with the help of the local SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). They included hedgehogs, gerbils, rabbits, lizards and snakes. We closed the store before downtown was evacuated. There was a big operation all over town to evacuate pets. It's a really big pet community. Now the people and pets are returning to town. We lost some of our stock, particularly dog food, which accounts for about two-thirds of our business, but the store is still standing, with not really any smoke damage. We may get some of the pets back but I'm just glad that the other stores were able to take them and they're safe. We have to get some emergency insurance quickly to get the business up and running again, as we still have to pay the rent. My house is also fully intact, luckily. I just went in there for the first time since I evacuated. There is some smoke damage but it's better than I expected. A lot of homes in the area were damaged, but thankfully the fire somehow skipped my street. It was pretty emotional going home again. It was quite surreal and heavy. The house was almost as it was when I left that morning I evacuated. Things were thrown all over the place. There is a big clean-up ahead. But there is some amazing support being given by the whole country. It's strange being on the receiving end of all that support and love. My friend and the rest of the firefighters are the real heroes here now. They saved our community. Now we're going to rebuild it. The firefighters knocked down about 60-70ft worth of trees behind my house. Not a bad thing as it probably saved my home. There are still a lot of health concerns and a lot of people are staying away, but it feels good to be one of the first ones back. Now I'm going to get the doors of my business open as soon as possible."

Two women have been found dead inside a house in Birmingham. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Thousands of evacuees from the Canadian city of Fort McMurray have begun returning home, after being forced to flee the huge wildfire there a month ago.

Chelsea will play Paris St-Germain, while Arsenal face Monaco in ties to be played in February and March. Champions Real Madrid will face Schalke, with last season's beaten finalists Atletico Madrid taking on Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern Munich play Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus face Borussia Dortmund, while Basel are up against Porto. Manchester City recorded a fine win over Roma in the final round of group games to progress. But finishing second to Bayern Munich meant there was always a chance of meeting a top side like four-time European champions Barcelona. In last season's first knockout round, the Catalans beat City 4-1 on aggregate, winning 2-0 at the Etihad and then 2-1 at the Nou Camp. Chelsea, who finished ahead of Schalke in their group, are up against Paris St-Germain for the second consecutive year. The Blues beat the French champions in dramatic circumstances in last year's quarter-finals. There is added interest in that game as Chelsea sold defender David Luiz to PSG for a reported £40m in the summer. Arsenal, who finished below Borussia Dortmund in their group, come up against Monaco, who were managed by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger from 1987 to 1994. Monaco scored only four goals in their group but still finished top. Arsenal club secretary David Miles said: "We've picked some of the biggest teams in Europe over the last few years, but we are not taking anything for granted. Monaco have earned the right to be at this stage." Reacting to Manchester City's draw, director of football and former Barcelona player Txiki Begiristain told Sky Sports News: "Every tie in that draw is the same. It's fantastic, so we're looking forward to it. "We have plenty of confidence with the way we qualified, beating Bayern Munich at home and Roma away." Chelsea secretary David Barnard was happy at being drawn against PSG, adding: "It's a good draw logistically, too, for our supporters." The researchers' study, published in the journal Plos One, says that tadpoles would not normally burrow through sand, nor swallow the material, but this "remarkable tadpole" does. It belongs to the Indian Dancing frog family, Micrixalidae. The study added that the new findings underlined the "uniqueness of amphibians" of the Western Ghats. A group of scientists from University of Delhi, University of Peradeniya and Gettysburg College discovered and documented the larvae, and genetically confirmed their identity as Micrixalus herrei. "These tadpoles probably remained unnoticed all these years because of their fossorial nature, which in itself is a rare occurrence in the amphibian world," said Prof SD Biju from University of Delhi. The scientists said these tadpoles were discovered from "deep recesses of streambeds" where they "live in total darkness until they fully develop into froglets". The Indian Dancing frogs are known for waving their legs in sexual and territorial display, but tadpoles from this family had remained a mystery for scientists. Prof Madhava Meegaskumbura from University of Peradeniya said Micrixalidae tadpoles "have ribs and this provides them greater muscle attachment" to help them "wriggle through sand". "Only four families of frogs are reported to have ribs, but we show that at least some of Micrixalidae also have ribs, even as tadpoles," he said. The study added that these tadpoles "lack teeth" but have "well-serrated jaw sheaths", which helps them avoid large sand grains while feeding. It also added that very little was known about the habitat requirements of these tadpoles. "Observations made so far show that the tadpoles inhabit sandy banks under canopy-covered streams," it said. The Western Ghats is a mountainous region in southern India which is known as a hotspot of biodiversity. Source: Journal Plos One

Manchester City have been drawn against Barcelona in the Champions League last 16 for a second consecutive year. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A new tadpole that burrows through sand has been discovered in the Western Ghats of India, scientists report.

Constance Davies, 88, was watching television at home in Maesteg, Bridgend county, when Gavin Tainton burst in demanding money on 4 August last year. Debt-ridden Tainton, 32, denied robbery and erupted in rage at a Cardiff Crown Court jury which convicted him before kicking a door on his way to the cells. He will be sentenced on Friday. Tainton used thick electrical cable to tie up Mrs Davies, pulled out her phone line and told her to stay quiet. The shaken pensioner, who sustained a broken finger as well as numerous cuts and bruises, managed to wriggle free but remained silent until the following day when she summoned enough strength to go to see her doctor. She begged a nurse that she "didn't want anyone to know" about her terrifying ordeal. Tainton's fingerprints were found on the inside back-door handle of Mrs Davies' home. But claimed he had been invited into Mrs Davies' home two weeks before the break-in after agreeing to clean her windows. Tainton, who has previous convictions for burglary, insisted he had not carried out what he called a "junkie's crime". Fr Cornel Clepea, a Romanian Orthodox priest based in Ballymena, County Antrim, works five days a week as a cleaner in a meat slaughterhouse. On weekends, he ministers to a small congregation of Romanian immigrants, performing baptisms and other services. He said the practice of clerics taking another job was becoming "usual". "The world is changing," he told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme. Fr Clepea usually works for three hours in the slaughterhouse each weekday. Cleaning an abattoir might be a world away from his vocation to care for the spiritual needs of his flock, but the priest said he tries to enjoy his dual role. "In my opinion, a job must be done with heart and with pleasure, because if not, each kind of job becomes very, very difficult." Fr Clepea said. "I understood that I must love everything that I must do - and I do," he added. The priest leads prayer services for a small congregation of about 20 people every Sunday. He relies on the Catholic Church in Ballymena for a venue to perform his ministry. Although the Catholic Church and Roman Orthadox Church are separate Christian denominations, Fr Clepea has been granted the use of a meeting room in Ballymena's Catholic Parish Centre for his church services. He also lodges with Catholic clergy at the nearby All Saints Church. Catholic parish priest Fr Patrick Delargy told Good Morning Ulster that Fr Clepea was a "true example of a worker priest". He added that he "has studied at a very high level, but he has chosen to come here to Ballymena to work among his Romanian people". "He's now doing a very, very different job from what he did before and I think he is a remarkable person, from that point of view."

A window cleaner who tied up a pensioner, threatened her into silence and stole £15 has been found guilty of robbery. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A priest who moved to Northern Ireland from Romania is working part time as a cleaner because he does not earn enough to support himself through ministry.

Juba is in lockdown amid fresh fighting, apparently sparked by a shootout between the bodyguards of the leaders of the two factions. Some reports speak of dozens dead. President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar have both called for calm. A 2015 peace deal to end a 20-month civil war has failed to quell unrest. 'We want peace - and ice cream' The latest clashes came after Mr Kiir and Mr Machar met at the presidential palace on Friday. A half-hour shootout among bodyguards escalated into heavy weapon and then artillery fire in several parts of the city. A doctor at a hospital told the Associated Press that soldiers had brought in scores of bodies, most of them military men, but this has not been independently verified. An earlier deadly altercation on Thursday night left five soldiers dead at a checkpoint. Mr Kiir and Mr Machar described Friday's violence as "unfortunate". The rival armed factions both took up positions in April as part of the peace deal, which saw Mr Machar return to the country. Tens of thousands died in the civil war and millions were forced from their homes. South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, is so broke that the authorities say no official anniversary celebrations will be held. But the streets of Juba were at least reported to be fairly quiet on Saturday. Specialist staff from charity RSPCA had a "struggle" to get the ewe into one of the bags they use for such operations while on a slippery ledge overlooking Llanberis Pass, Gwynedd, on Friday. Inspectors Mark Roberts and Mike Pugh abseiled over the edge to reach the sheep which was then lowered to safety. "The sheep was fine," said Mr Pugh. A sheep was rescued in a similar operation in March from from a tiny ledge on a sheer cliff in Gwynedd. The pedestrian was crossing Liberton Place when he was hit at about 13:50. Police Scotland said the man had non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. The road has been closed for an investigation and diversions are in place. Kieron Flux went missing after a night out in the Val d'Isère resort. A search helicopter found his body in the Gorges de la Daille on 7 January. The 18-year-old, from Newport, was a student at Isle of Wight College. Island coroner Caroline Sumeray recorded a verdict of death by misadventure and said intoxication had contributed to his death. Ms Sumeray said the French authorities had carried out an autopsy but had not sent the findings. She also told Mr Flux's mother, Diane Haines, some of his organs had been retained by the French authorities without explanation, and said she would ask the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to investigate. Mrs Haines said she had not been previously informed and added: "So I buried him with most of his organs missing." Mr Flux went on the holiday with his father, Wayne Flux, and nine others. On the second night he and his friend Joseph Craig went into the town centre and initially joined a pub crawl organised by the tour company reps, the inquest heard. After visiting four bars, Mr Craig became separated from Mr Flux and ended up going back to the group's chalet alone. Mr Flux had drunk about six bottles of beer before going out. Ms Sumeray said he got on a shuttle bus but got off at the wrong end of town. "He was disorientated and wasn't dressed warmly and subsequently got lost in the snow and developed hypothermia and died," she said. "Had he not been intoxicated with alcohol, I do not think he would have ended up getting lost and dying." On identifying his son's body, Wayne Flux described him as "frozen solid", the inquest heard.

South Sudan's capital, Juba, remained tense on Saturday, the fifth anniversary of its independence, after deadly clashes between rival factions. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Animal welfare workers rescued a sheep from a ledge in Snowdonia 80ft (24m) up by putting it in a sack and lowering it to safety. [NEXT_CONCEPT] An 86-year-old man is in hospital after being knocked down by a taxi in Edinburgh. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A British college student died of hypothermia after an après-ski pub crawl in France, an inquest has heard.

Camera assistant Sarah Jones, 27, died after being hit by a freight train on the first day of filming Midnight Rider in Georgia in February 2014. Randall Miller, 53, who also pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing, had spent a year in county jail. He was released halfway through his sentence, for good behaviour. Six other crew members were injured in the accident that killed Jones. She was struck by the train after the crew had placed a hospital bed on a railway bridge across the Altamah River in Doctortown, south east Georgia, to shoot a dream sequence. The train, which was travelling at 55 mph, shattered the bed, sending a shower of debris that injured other crew members. Filming was suspended and actor William Hurt, who was due to play Allman, pulled out of the production. Allman himself had also called for the project to be axed following the death. An investigation found that CSX Transportation, which owned the train trestle on which filming was taking place, had refused permission to film on the tracks. Miller was jailed on 9 March 2015 after pleading guilty as part of a plea deal, which saw criminal charges dropped against his wife Jody Savin. He could have been jailed for 11 years if convicted by a jury. He was freed shortly after making a court appearance on Wednesday. Don Samuel, one of Miller's defence lawyers, said: "He was still in shackles when I last saw him, but he was very glad the sentence was behind him. He's moving on and he's going to be on an overnight flight to California." His defence team had been arguing that Miller should be freed early because of his good behaviour and also because of concerns for his health. Sarah Jones's parents had told Superior Court Judge Anthony Harrison they opposed Miller's early release. Speaking after the hearing, her father, Richard Jones, said: "The message we did not want to send is that because you may be a movie director, you may be getting off lightly. "Sarah's dead for heaven sakes. These were just blatant decisions that put these people in danger unnecessarily." Miller will spend the next nine years on probation and is banned from directing any films during that period. Harminder Singh Mintoo was arrested from the main railway station in the capital, Delhi, on Monday, police said. Armed men sprang Mintoo and five other inmates in a dramatic jailbreak in Patiala district on Sunday. Mintoo has been called a leader of the outlawed Khalistan Liberation Force, accused of links with armed separatists in Punjab in the 1980s and early 1990s. Media reports said he had been named as an accused in a case of possession of explosives in 2008, and had a dozen cases registered against him. "The cases against him were very weak and in most of the cases he is described as the main conspirator. He has not been accused of direct involvement in any alleged militant activity," his lawyer Jaspal Singh Manjhpur told The Indian Express newspaper. It is the latest in a series of jailbreaks which have embarrassed the authorities in India. Last month eight prisoners escaped from a high-security jail in the city of Bhopal in central Madhya Pradesh state. The inmates, members of an outlawed Islamist group, were killed outside Bhopal after they resisted arrest, police said. Last year, two people escaped from Delhi's maximum security Tihar jail by digging a tunnel under a wall. In the latest incident early on Sunday, five armed men in police uniform arrived in a car at Nabha prison in Patiala on the "pretext of depositing a prisoner in jail", police said. "They asked the guard to open the gate. As soon as the gate was opened, they overpowered the guard and entered the jail, resulting in the escape of six prisoners," Punjab police chief Suresh Arora told reporters. The men escaped in a convoy of vehicles. Later on Sunday evening, police said they had captured a man in northern Uttar Pradesh state who they said was the mastermind of the jailbreak.

A director who admitted involuntary manslaughter over a fatal train crash on the set of a biopic about Gregg Allman has been released from jail. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Police in India say they have recaptured a Sikh separatist leader, who escaped from a prison in Punjab.

Germain Katanga, an ex-militia leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, should pay $1m (£800,000) to villagers targeted in 2003, judges ruled. But as he was insolvent, the ICC Trust Fund for Victims should consider making the payment, the judges added. Katanga followed proceedings via video link from jail in DR Congo. The ICC sentenced him to 12 years in 2014 for aiding and abetting war crimes. He was behind the 2003 massacre of hundreds of villagers in north-eastern DR Congo. In total, the court ordered reparations of more than $3.7m. "The chamber has assessed the scope of the prejudice to 297 victims as $3,752,620. The chamber sets the amount to be contributed by Mr Katanga towards the reparations as $1m," said presiding judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut. A "symbolic" sum of $250 (£200) should be given to each of the 297 victims and a further $1m in "collective reparations", the judge said. Lawyers for the victims set out a detailed list of losses, including the destruction of houses, furniture, and the killing of livestock. They also said survivors had suffered psychological harm because of the loss of loved ones. "The order provides for two types of reparations: individual reparations, awarded to individuals to repair the harm they have suffered; and collective reparations, consisting of long-term projects covering a whole community but still focusing on individual victims to the extent possible," an ICC statement said. Bartholomeo Joly de Lotbiniere, 21, is accused of raping the fellow student at York University in June 2014. In a video interview played to the city's crown court, the woman said she tried to push him off as he lay on top of her. Mr Joly de Lotbiniere denies rape and assault by penetration. The court heard the woman describe how she and the defendant, of Kensal Rise, London, had been out drinking as part of a group on the night of the alleged assault. She said Mr Joly de Lotbiniere, referred to in court as Barto, tried to kiss her and suggested they have sex. Thinking he was joking, she said he left the room and went to the toilet before going to her room, but he followed her in. After the attack, the court was told he said "pretend this never happened" and then "tell no one about this". Prosecutor Gerald Hendron described how the woman later texted Mr Joly de Lotbiniere and said: "I thought I'd let you know I wasn't overly comfortable with what happened on Thursday night". The prosecutor said that Mr Joly de Lotbiniere replied: "Neither am I". He said that he added: "I was a disgrace, I did a very stupid thing and I am very sorry for what I did. "I just hope you can forgive me at some point. I'll try not to act like a bloody 14-year-old again and start acting my age. Sorry." In October 2014, it is claimed the defendant texted the woman again, saying: "I wanted to apologise to you in person tonight. "I wanted you to know I'm very sorry for what I did and that there's no enmity between us. And that we can move on as mutual friends." The prosecutor said that, in a police interview, Mr Joly de Lotbiniere told officers his apologies related to him being unable to get a proper erection during the sexual encounter. The woman explained how she began dating someone and told him what had happened to her, saying this was a moment of realisation. She told the interviewing officer: "Then, basically, he was on University Challenge and it was all over social media and certain tweets. "I just wanted to do something about it." The case continues.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has for the first time ordered a war criminal to pay reparations to victims of his atrocities. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A University Challenge contestant told a woman to "pretend this never happened" after he raped her at a hall of residence, a court has heard.

He was speaking after visiting Hawick Knitwear where more than 100 jobs were lost last week. A further 56 posts are under threat at the firm with a manufacturing tradition going back more than 140 years. Mr Ewing said he would chair a "round table forum" on local economic issues to be held in the town on 2 February. Hawick Knitwear went into administration last week with the immediate loss of more than 100 jobs. "Given the scale of the situation facing Hawick Knitwear, I will convene a round table for businesses in Hawick," said Mr Ewing. "This will be a chance for me to listen to local businesses and understand the challenges they currently face and to explore potential opportunities and what support might be needed to help businesses bring those to fruition." MSP John Lamont said any move which sought to "explore potential opportunities for Hawick" was clearly to be welcomed. "However, a single meeting clearly falls far short of what I and others having been calling for," he added. "We would like to see a dedicated task force for the town's textiles industry. "Hawick needs a longer term plan for jobs and a single meeting is simply not enough to tackle the challenges faced by the textiles industry." But three-quarters of the city is actually composed of country parks and nature reserves: home to a variety of wild animals, including more than 1,200 cattle. Occasionally, the feral herds clash with humans, with tragic consequences. Images of a group of cattle apparently trying to rouse one of their own, after it had been hit by a car, are making the rounds on social media. A large black bull was struck on a road in the suburban district of Ma On Shan over the weekend. Cat Mok, a 30-year-old laboratory assistant, was one of the first on the scene, passing by in a public bus and recording what she saw. "The other cattle surrounded him, using their heads to butt him, to try to raise him up," she told BBC News. "I saw with my own eyes how intelligent cows are. They, like us, have their own social structure, their own families, their own feelings." Ms Mok said she shed tears for the animals, who are known for being gentle and lazy. Carol Biddell, co-founder of the Saikung Buffalo Watch, was alerted to the accident by a witness and rushed there. She believes the bull suffered a broken leg and most likely died of internal injuries. Ms Biddell said that, as part of her volunteer work, she has previously seen herds react to the death of a member. "They do get very disturbed. And a lot of the smaller herds do stick together. So they sensed something was wrong. It's an instinct," she said. According to Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), there are two main groups of stray bovine in Hong Kong: water buffalo and brown cattle. Both were used by local farmers for centuries as draught animals to plough rice fields. But as agriculture declined in the 1970s, they were abandoned. Their descendants became the wild cattle commonly seen in Hong Kong's suburban areas, particularly in the New Territories and on Lantau island. Ho Loy, chairwoman of the Lantau Buffalo Association, called the latest accident "heartbreaking". "The public love the animals. We respect them. They are beautiful," she said. "I am really frustrated with the current government on the road safety issue." Ms Ho said the accident was one of the most serious since a June 2013 hit-and-run that resulted in the deaths of a herd of eight wild cattle, most of them juveniles. A British woman was later arrested and fined in relation to the incident. The activist said her group had urged the government to limit driving speeds in areas frequented by animals and install speed detecting cameras to enforce the rules. "People care more about animals now than they did than 10 years ago, but government policy has not changed," Ms Ho added. In a 2013 policy statement, the AFCD recognised "that the cattle and buffalo are part of the heritage of rural Hong Kong and that it brings pleasures to visitors and locals alike to see these animals in a natural environment." But, in order to strike a balance between these views and the "nuisance" sometimes caused by the animals, the department had created a long-term animal management plan that included tagging and sterilisation. The latest incident, and the interest generated on social media, may well reopen the debate on how to best protect Hong Kong's wild cattle.

Business Minister Fergus Ewing has announced an economic forum will be held in Hawick after an historic knitwear firm entered administration. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Hong Kong may be better known as a dense urban jungle populated by concrete skyscrapers and masses of humanity.

A report due to be presented to Bristol City Council also notes the project will cost more - up to £92.5m, an increase of 2.5%. John Sharkey, from SMG which will be involved with running the venue, said a big project like this "would be expected to take its time". Mayor George Ferguson described the project as "remarkably on time". "What I'm absolutely determined is that we open the arena early 2018," the independent said. "What Bristol's going to get if people don't mess around with it [the planning process] will be absolutely fantastic." Mr Sharkey said since the buildings would be up for "many many long years" it is important they are fit for purpose". "You want to be able to deliver an asset to the city that's right and ready to operate from day one." Two planning applications for the Bristol Arena, a 12,000-seat venue near Temple Meads, are due to be submitted. People living nearby raised concerns about parking but the council said city centre car parks had "spare capacity, within a 20 minute walk of the arena". A consultation closes on 13 October. At the outset of the day, John Swinney, the finance secretary, had looked and sounded rather gloomy - he would probably say realistic - about the prospects of an agreement. But, after a day of detailed negotiation behind the scenes, agreement was reached. And Nicola Sturgeon permitted herself a smile as she said that the agreement would not cut a penny from Scotland's budget. Both sides had an incentive to reach agreement. The Scottish government, because it might have been hard to explain why they were seemingly rejecting a plan for new Holyrood tax powers. The UK government, because they favour a narrative which says that Scotland is gaining more responsibility for tax - and, hence, it is implied, reducing any requirement for support from London. An implication naturally rejected by Scottish ministers. So who has given ground? The Scottish government has had to compromise. They have gained less than they wanted in terms of cash to assist the implementation of the new powers, including welfare powers. They have been obliged to concede that there will be independent scrutiny of Scotland's fiscal position in the run up to the proposed review which will take place in six years time - five years from next year's deployment of the new tax powers. That was a key Treasury demand - although perhaps not one that it was particularly hurtful for Mr Swinney to concede. And the Scottish government has accepted that it will be, technically, the Treasury model which is used for operating the fiscal framework. Albeit that model will be altered so that it generates exactly the same outcome as the Scottish government's favoured approach of Per Capita Index Deduction. Already Liberal Democrats are saying that is an error by Scottish ministers - that it will be difficult to escape the Treasury model, even the reformed version, once it is in place. That it might, in short, prove costly in the longer term. In response to which, Scottish ministers point to the concessions made by the Treasury, notably that the review after six years will be conducted between the two governments, based on independent data. It will not, in sum, involve a presumption of a default to the full, unvarnished Treasury scheme. Scottish ministers had said that would cut some £2.5bn from Scotland's budget over a decade. The Treasury has also conceded that there will be "no detriment" attaching to Scotland's budget during the six year period. The gain for the Scottish government? New tax, welfare and borrowing powers for Holyrood - and avoiding any suggestion that they were thwarting the same: which might have been difficult to explain to voters. The big gain? An end to any immediate suggestion of an automatic cut in Scotland's budget resulting purely from devolution. Cuts there may be - either from further Treasury stringency or from declining Scottish tax revenue. But not from the process of devolution. As Smith specified. That plus that review formula. The gain for the UK government? The prime minister can say, with justification, that he has now delivered upon the pre-referendum vow. It might have been politically awkward otherwise. Secondly, the PM and the Chancellor can now pursue the responsibility narrative noted earlier. Tonight's deal opens a new phase in Scottish politics. One which will feature substantially during the Holyrood election campaign.

The planned opening date for Bristol's long-awaited arena has slipped from late 2017 into early 2018. [NEXT_CONCEPT] And so a deal has been done on the fiscal framework which accompanies planned new tax powers for Holyrood.

The move follows an £8.6m cut in the subsidy received from the Department for Employment and Learning. Existing modern languages students and those due to begin language degrees this month will be able to finish them. Several other subject areas are affected, with the university no longer offering single honours maths degrees. Prof Paddy Nixon, the university's vice-chancellor, said moving to a single campus had been considered as a way of saving money. But he added that had been ruled out and the university was committed to its four existing campuses. However, there will be changes to some courses offered at each site. Interior design courses will close, while computing, business management and marine science will be streamlined. Prof Nixon said: "Modern languages is a subject that really doesn't attract students as you would expect. "In the current environment, we simply can't cross-subsidise those subjects any longer. "All of the decisions were [based on] entry interest, research performance, student satisfaction, employment statistics and the overall balance of the university, and none of those decisions were easy. He said government cuts to higher education budgets did not "send the right signals to international markets or to our young people". "We've got to look at how we are disinvesting rather than investing in higher education. "Whether [the executive] will listen is a difficult question." Prof Nixon, who earns an annual salary of £250,000 plus benefits, said he would not be considering taking a pay cut. "I wouldn't be suggesting that any staff take cuts - we need to be able to attract the best and maintain the best." Earlier, Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry laid the blame for the course cuts on what he called the "dysfunctional" Northern Ireland Executive. "I think it is a real shame we are in a situation where staff are losing opportunities," the Alliance MLA said. "It's also a real shame we're losing student places. "I understand people will react to this - it's been very clear over the past number of months that this is because of the negative outworkings of the budget." In June, the university announced it planned to shed 210 jobs in 2015/16 and 1,200 student places. It also announced that courses and subject areas would close in response to budget cuts. About 20 staff are employed at the modern languages school that teaches subjects such as French, German, Spanish and Chinese. A third of staff jobs will be lost in the school of history with a reduction from 15 to 10 posts, and two posts will be lost in the school of media, film and journalism. Across Ulster University as a whole it is expected that about 185 full-time equivalent posts will go, with volunteers for redundancy expected to confirm their departure by January next year before leaving at the end of April. Ulster University students' union president Colum Mackey said the executive had not prioritised higher education and accused it of "failing a generation of young people". Fergal McFerran, president of the National Union of Students and Union of Students in Ireland, said the cuts could create a "lost generation of people left with no hope and no career prospects". Sean Smyth, of the trade union Unite, said the "short-sightedness of Stormont policies" had led to the cuts. He added: "How can Northern Ireland develop an outward-looking economy without an adequate supply of people able to communicate in modern languages like Chinese and German?" Unite will start balloting more than 2,000 drivers who work for seven major fuel distribution firms next week. It warned that supermarkets, garages and airports could all be affected. The government said it was aware of the union's ballot plans and urged it "to resolve the issues it raises directly with the employers concerned". Unite wants to see a forum established to agree industry-wide best practice on safety, training and terms and conditions. It said the ballot would cover about 90% of drivers supplying petrol to UK forecourts. "This is not about pay - this is about ensuring that high safety and training standards are maintained so that our communities are safe," said Matt Draper, Unite national officer. Over the next two days the union will serve notice of the ballot on Wincanton, DHL, Hoyer, BP, JW Suckling, Norbert Dentressangle and Turners. A spokeswoman at Wincanton said the company had been recognised by the Energy Institute in November as being a leader in terms of health and safety.

Ulster University is to close its school of modern languages at its Coleraine campus and cut maths degrees as a result of budget reductions. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Thousands of tanker drivers across the UK are to be balloted for strike action in a row over safety and working practices, the Unite union has said.

Seven memorials have been given newly protected status and eight have had their protection upgraded, Historic England said. The Battle of the Somme began on 1 July 1916 and is considered to be one of the bloodiest in human history. On the first day alone, almost 60,000 soldiers were killed, hurt or missing. When the battle ended in November 1916 about one million soldiers were dead or wounded, among them were 420,000 British casualties. Memorials to the Pals Battalions are among those to receive greater protected status. Many recruits in the Pals Battalions did not see major action until the Somme, when they suffered heavy casualties, with towns, cities and even particular streets losing a large number of men. There are also memorials for nurses, vets, and a young scout killed in the battle. One memorial, a simple stone pillar on the North Yorkshire Moors, commemorates two young shepherds who were boyhood friends and signed up together in 1914. David Evennett, heritage minister, said: "These memorials are a poignant reminder of those who lost their lives in the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago and an important part of our heritage." Bradford War Memorial, Bradford, West Yorkshire Memorial to the Leeds Pals, Healey, West Yorkshire Carlton Colville Scouts Memorial, Carlton Colville, Suffolk, Commondale Shepherd's Memorial, Commondale, North Yorkshire, 1st Surrey Rifles, St Giles' Church, Camberwell, London Green Howards Regimental Cross, Richmond, North Yorkshire Penrith War Memorial at St Andrew's, Penrith, Cumbria Accrington War Memorial, Oak Hill Park, Lancashire Barnsley War Memorial, Barnsley, South Yorkshire Sheffield War Memorial, Sheffield, South Yorkshire City and County of London Troops War Memorial, Royal Exchange, London The Rifle Brigade War Memorial, Westminster, London Lichfield War Memorial, Lichfield, Staffordshire Preston War Memorial, Preston, Lancashire War Memorial at All Saints (Garrison Church), Aldershot, Hampshire Max Kretzschmar opened the scoring with a deflected free-kick after 12 minutes and Dagenham struggled to impose themselves in response before the break. Kretzschmar forced a fine save out of Mark Cousins as the visitors continued to ask questions of Dagenham's much-changed side, but the hosts equalised in the 83rd minute as Scott Heard scored his first goal for the club. Woking finish in 18th place, three points above the drop zone, while Dagenham finish fourth and will now prepare to face Forest Green in the play-off semi-finals next week. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Dagenham and Redbridge 1, Woking 1. Second Half ends, Dagenham and Redbridge 1, Woking 1. Substitution, Woking. Dennon Lewis replaces Jake Caprice. Substitution, Woking. Jamie Lucas replaces Gozie Ugwu. Goal! Dagenham and Redbridge 1, Woking 1. Scott Heard (Dagenham and Redbridge). Substitution, Woking. Fabio Saraiva replaces Max Kretzschmar. Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Paul Benson replaces Luke Guttridge. Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Shaun Donnellan replaces Fejiri Okenabirhie. Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Scott Heard replaces Jake Howells. Second Half begins Dagenham and Redbridge 0, Woking 1. First Half ends, Dagenham and Redbridge 0, Woking 1. Goal! Dagenham and Redbridge 0, Woking 1. Max Kretzschmar (Woking). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

More than a dozen war memorials have received greater protected status to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Woking left nothing to chance when it came to their National League survival by drawing with play-off hopefuls Dagenham.

Yussuf, 20, has signed a one-year deal with the Imps after struggled with a groin injury in his second season at the Pirelli Stadium last term. Nolan, 21, who spent two seasons with the Conference North-bound Stockport, has also agreed a one-year contract. Meanwhile, midfielder Alan Power has signed a new two-year deal at the club. The 25-year-old, who was named the Imps' player of the season this year, has scored 15 times in 90 appearances since joining on a free transfer in 2011. Lincoln manager Gary Simpson said it took a late-night dash to Manchester to seal the on-again, off-again deal for Nolan. I was back to Manchester at 11 o'clock last night to sign him "It looked like the whole thing was dead in the water yesterday [Wednesday]," he told BBC Radio Lincolnshire. "First, I thought I had done the deal last week when he came to see us, so he took the weekend to think about it. "He gave us the decision on Monday, and I was going to Manchester to sign the boy when I got a phone call to explain that a big Conference club had put a financial package to him that was way above anything that we could get near. "Then, after he spoke to that club and his agent, I got another phone call from the lad to say that for footballing reasons and his career he thought we were a better option and decided to resurrect talks. "And so I was back to Manchester at 11:00 BST last night [Wednesday] to sign him." On the signing of Yussuf, Simpson added: "He is a young boy that has had quite a few injuries, and while he is a bit of a gamble, if it pays off he could be a fantastic asset." Dogfish Menswear was criticised by Levi Jed Murphy on his Facebook page, followed by nearly 416,000 people. But fellow businesses rallied around the Norwich store and responded with a succession of positive reviews. Mr Murphy, who said he received "faulty clothing", claimed the store should not have shared details of the incident. Read more on this and other news from across Norfolk Store manager Levi de Belgeonne, based in The Lanes, said the store had been targeted by a "social media bully". He said he did not want to speak about Mr Murphy's online criticism, but thanked local businesses for their support. "The Lanes did just unite and share posts and shine a lot of positive light on the business," he said. "It would have been a shame if due to a social media bully - in a word - that we would have had that light changed." The group of independent traders encouraged their followers to help restore Dogfish's star rating after it dived to a one-star average. The shop received 275 reviews over 24 hours this week. Mr Murphy, 19, of Norwich, has gained a huge online following for his video posts on observations about life. On Wednesday, he published a Facebook status encouraging fans to give the shop a "bad review as they sold me faulty clothing and won't refund the money" and said he would then add them as a friend. Minutes later the store started to receive dozens of one-star reviews and disparaging comments. In a statement, Mr Murphy said he had not aimed his comments at a "particular person" and denied "bullying". He said the business "told many people about the situation, which they shouldn't have". Mr Murphy, who claimed he got a refund on the clothing from the manufacturer, said he had since received "abuse" on his Instagram profile and had deleted his original Facebook status.

Lincoln City have completed the double signing of Stockport County midfielder Jon Nolan and striker Adi Yussuf from Burton Albion, both on free transfers. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A shop found itself at the centre of a barrage of online criticism after a vlogger urged his followers to leave bad reviews.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments appear to be a response to a statement from a former president who said discussions were the way forward. The statements come amid concern among world powers over a series of ballistic missile tests by Iran. Iran denies the tests breach a UN resolution on its missile programme. The resolution, passed last year, calls on Iran not to develop or test ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Iran test-fired a nuclear weapon-capable ballistic missile in October 2015 and carried out more ballistic missile tests earlier this month. Iran's missile programme was not banned under a deal last year with world powers which curbed its nuclear activity, but the call to desist forms part of a resolution endorsing the agreement. On Wednesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the recent missile test had caused "alarm and concern" but that it would be up to the United Nations Security Council to decide what to do, Reuters news agency reported. In comments carried on his website, Ayatollah Khamenei said any negotiations should be backed by military strength. "If the Islamic system pursues technology and negotiations without defence power, then this will be a retreat in the face of threats from other insignificant countries," the website quoted him as saying. "People say that tomorrow's world is a world of negotiations and not a world of missiles. If they say this thoughtlessly, it shows that they are thoughtless. However, if this is intentional, then this is treachery." The statement comes days after former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani tweeted "the future is in dialogue, not missiles". Mr Rafsanjani is close to the politically moderate President Hassan Rouhani, whose domestic position was enhanced by the success of the nuclear negotiations in getting sanctions lifted. The daughter of Ian Beale - played by Hetti Bywater - will be murdered in a storyline set to leave viewers guessing the identity of the killer. The culprit will not be revealed until next February when the soap celebrates its 30th anniversary. Bywater is the fourth actress to play the character since her birth in 1993. She has been on the BBC One soap in her current incarnation since 2012, replacing Melissa Suffield who starred as the character from 2004-10. Casey Anne Rothery and Eva Brittin-Snell also played Beale in her younger years. The soap's executive producer, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, said last year the Beale family would become embroiled in a major plot. He added Lucy's death would give actor Adam Woodyatt - who plays the soap's only remaining original character Ian Beale - "a chance to shine". Beale will be left questioning how much he knew about his daughter as he discovers various secrets following her demise. EastEnders' last "whodunit" was in 2009 when Archie Mitchell, played by Larry Lamb, was murdered by an unseen person on Christmas Day. The killer was revealed to be Stacey Branning during a live episode broadcast in February 2010 to mark the soap's 25th anniversary. Audiences were also hooked in 2001 when Phil Mitchell was shot outside his Walford home. Some 22 million viewers subsequently tuned in to find out that his ex-girlfriend Lisa was the shooter.

Iran's top leader has said anyone who thinks negotiations are more important than building a missile system are traitors, his official website reports. [NEXT_CONCEPT] EastEnders character Lucy Beale is to be killed off this Easter, the BBC has confirmed.

After a rain break, Glamorgan were set a revised target of 281 in 43 overs, but were bowled out for 221. Danny Briggs claimed three wickets for 53 runs and a run-out before Chris Cooke's hard-hit 62 reduced the margin. Earlier Sussex's innings was built round Stiaan van Zyl's 96 and Ben Brown's 60, in a stand of 115. Glamorgan's Marchant de Lange, with 3-51, slowed down the late charge from the hosts. The South African paceman was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers, as Sussex made the most of the short boundary on one side. New recruit Van Zyl made his runs off just 88 balls before skying a catch as he went for his century, allowing David Wiese to club three sixes in the late home onslaught. Glamorgan lost early wickets and Jacques Rudolph and Kiran Carlson's promising 72-run fourth-wicket stand was broken when Carlson, on 40, became a second run-out victim after William Bragg was out for a duck earlier on. The visitors were left depending on in-form captain Rudolph, but his dismissal for 51 marked the end of any substantial Glamorgan victory hopes, as spinner Briggs took vital wickets either side of the rain-break. Chris Cooke provided some late entertainment for the Welsh county, with 62 off 47 balls, without provoking any doubt as to the result. Sussex batsman Stiaan van Zyl told BBC Sussex: "It's been a difficult start since I joined the club, I think this win is great for us, and for me as well to get some runs under the belt, so hopefully we can carry this momentum into the next game. "Our game-plan is for one or two to bat through, that's my role in the team and then other guys can smack it around, we've got more than enough power in the last ten overs. "Ben Brown is a fantastic player, that eases my game because he's naturally free-scoring, it's like a natural game for him. "The club is great, but it's been a difficult start on the pitch, the guys are finding their feet and they can put extra pressure on themselves so this win is great for us." Glamorgan batsman/wicket-keeper Chris Cooke told BBC Wales Sport: "A tough defeat to swallow there, it was always going to be tricky to chase down just under 300 on that wicket after their batters played very well. "With one short boundary, we were in with a shout but we lost a few wickets before the rain, then when there's nothing to lose you can be a bit more fearless, I got a few out of the middle but it was always going to be tough. "Mark Wallace's gloves are big ones to fill, and with the cold weather and quick bowlers I've had to resort to another pair of inners (gloves), so a few sore fingers but it's otherwise been ok. "My back's been alright (after an injury in 2016), I hope to carry on (keeping full-time) and I don't see any reason why I can't." The women launched their campaign following the sinking of three ships in 1968 with the loss of 58 lives. They lobbied the government and eventually forced the introduction new safety measures, including all ships having a full-time radio operator. The ceremony was performed by the city's Lord Mayor Mary Glew. Councillor Glew described the four women, Lillian Bilocca, Christine Jensen MBE , Mary Denness and Yvonne Blenkinsop, as "truly inspirational". "The women's campaign saved millions of lives across the world in the fishing industry and it is right and fitting that they are honoured," said Ms Glew. The four, who lived in the Hull fishing community of Hessle Road, gathered a 10,000 signature petition calling for reform. Lillian Bilocca led a delegation to Parliament and eventually met with the then prime minister Harold Wilson. The ceremony takes place on what would have been Ms Bilocca's 86th birthday. She died in 1988. The two surviving campaigners, Mary Denness and Yvonne Blenkinsop, were present at the unveiling. Christine Jensen died in 2001.

Sussex collected their first win of the One-Day Cup campaign as their score of 292-6 proved far too demanding for Glamorgan at Hove. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Plaques have been unveiled in Hull Maritime Museum to mark the battle by four women to improve safety conditions on board North Sea trawlers.

Easing the restrictions on the A985 will also mean the route will be open to commercial vans around the clock from Monday. Restrictions to the priority route will be lifted completely on 23 December. The Forth Road Bridge will be closed until the new year. The bridge was shut completely on 4 December after a crack in a truss end link member at the North Tower. A travel plan was put in place which involved a priority corridor being set aside for public transport and HGVs between Cairneyhill and Longannet, close to the Kincardine Bridge. Transport Minister Derek Mackay has now said that commercial light vehicles will be able to use the A985 route. The priority route will be open to all traffic at weekends, starting from 20:00 on Friday 11 December. Holiday period Mr Mackay said: "Clearly the closure of the bridge has had a significant impact, particularly on small and medium sized businesses, and we and our transport partners have been listening to business community views since the travel plan was implemented. "To address their feedback, from this Monday all commercial light goods vehicles will be allowed 24 hour a day access to the A985 priority route. "We have also responded to community needs, and so can confirm that all vehicles will have access to the priority route at weekends and outside peak periods on weekdays. "We also intend to lift restrictions on the priority route completely on the 23rd of this month to coincide with the start of the holiday period." Andy Willox, Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland's policy convener, said: "We're delighted that the government has listened to the FSB and accepted the vital role our members play in keeping Scotland's economy moving. "By allowing vans and other light goods vehicles to use the priority route, more essential journeys can be completed is less time. "Tradesmen with deadlines to meet, wholesalers with shops to supply and couriers with customers' Christmas presents to deliver will be spending more time doing business and less time stuck in traffic." Hundreds have been stolen in bulk from orchards, with thieves using rakes to drag fruit straight from the tree before selling them on. The fruits themselves are immature this time of year so consumers buying them will have a "very bad eating experience", an industry body said. In New Zealand avocado sell for between NZ$4-6 (US$2.8-$4.2; £2-£3) each. The CEO of New Zealand Avocado, Jen Scoular, described the thefts as small-scale and opportunistic. "In New Zealand we don't import avocados, and we've had a moderate supply of avocados in the last season and a big increase in demand," she told the BBC's Newshour programme. "People want them, people know they need them in recipes, so the thieves are thinking maybe we'll be able to get a good price for these avocados." The thefts have been happening at night, and local police said although they were happening over a wide area they had just one suspect in mind. "Anything that is going to make them money, they are going to hook on to," Sergeant Aaron Fraser told Stuff.co.nz. Unmanned Warrior 2016 will involve drones, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and machines that can operate underwater. Companies that manufacture the weapons and Nato member countries have been invited by the Royal Navy to take part. It will be held during the UK-led Exercise Joint Warrior in October. Joint Warrior is one of Nato's largest training events and is held twice a year for thousands of army, navy and air force personnel. Since 2014, the Royal Navy has been promoting Unmanned Warrior 2016 to drone technology businesses. Various scenarios will be run to test the capability of the machines, including anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance. The first of this year's Joint Warrior exercises will be held from 11-23 April. Most of the training takes place in and around Scotland with warships operating out of Faslane on the Clyde and aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray. Live firing is also done at Cape Wrath in Sutherland, while large-scale military manoeuvres have taken place in the past at West Freugh near Stranraer.

Restrictions on a priority route for HGVs and buses put in place following the closure of the Forth Road Bridge, are being eased to allow car drivers to use it at weekends. [NEXT_CONCEPT] High prices and surging demand have sparked a spate of avocado thefts in New Zealand. [NEXT_CONCEPT] What the Royal Navy describes as its first "robot wars" exercise will be held off Scotland's coast later this year.

Mitzi Steady, aged four, Robert Parker, 59, Philip Allen, 52, and Stephen Vaughan, 34, died in the crash on Lansdown Lane in Bath in February 2015. The court was told parts of the braking system were "fractured or loose" and would have failed roadside tests. Driver Phillip Potter denies causing death by dangerous or careless driving. His boss at Grittenham Haulage Ltd, Matthew Gordon, 30, of Dauntsey, who was driving another truck in front of Mr Potter, also denies 14 offences; while the truck company's mechanic, Peter Wood, 55, of Brinkworth, denies four charges. Gary Ford, of the Drivers and Vehicle Standards Agency, described how he examined the vehicle four hours after the accident and found one of the brakes to be "unusually hot" at 62C (144F). But, he said, one other brake was just 5C (41F) suggesting it was "doing nothing". He also told the jury that some of the reaction brackets (part of the braking system) "were fractured or loose" and in such a poor state of repair that the lorry would "have been taken off the road in a standard roadside check". A former driver at Grittenham Haulage Ltd previously told the court he had experienced brake failings, electrical faults and air pressure faults. In one incident, he said he felt the brake go "straight to the floor" as he attempted to stop behind a car making a sharp turn. He described the brakes as having a "spongy sensation". The lorry hit several pedestrians, including Mitzi, from Bath, and a car containing Mr Allen and Mr Vaughan, both from Swansea, and Mr Parker, from Cwmbran, south Wales. Phillip Browne, who lived on Lansdown Lane, told the court last week he heard Mr Potter describing what happened immediately after the crash. He said he heard the driver say: "I think I've killed them. I was coming down the hill. I put my foot on the brake and there was nothing there." Mr Potter, 20, of Dauntsey, is also charged with causing serious injuries to Karla Brennan and Mitzi's grandmother Margaret Rogers by dangerous driving. He denies a total of 10 charges against him. The trial continues. The referendum was held on Sunday in Saint-Apollinaire, a town of about 5,000 located just outside Quebec City. Provincial rules meant only 49 people were eligible to vote; the nays won 19-16 and one ballot was rejected. The cemetery was proposed by the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre, which was the site of a shooting that killed six people and injured 19 in January. "We never thought people could oppose the installation of a cemetery," the centre's president Mohamed Labidi told Radio-Canada. "What are they afraid of?" The Islamic cultural centre had purchased a plot of land in a wooded area next to an existing cemetery after the shooting. The only Muslim cemetery in Quebec is in Laval, hours from Quebec City. The town's decision to oppose the cemetery has led to an outcry amongst Muslims and civil-rights advocates across the country and may lead to a human rights complaint, Mr Labidi said. The mayor of the town supported the cemetery and has said he fears his town's reputation has been hurt. "They do not know these people so they base their decisions on hearsay," Mayor Bernard Ouellet told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Opponents went door to door to gather signatures to call for the referendum, since building the cemetery would require a minor zoning change. A provincial law allows referendums to be held on zoning matters, with only people who live in the affected area eligible to vote. That meant only 49 people in a town of 5,000 were eligible to vote, and only 36 people cast ballots. "We need cemeteries that welcome everybody, no matter their religion, where they are from, their skin colour, their culture. You have to think about that because in 20 years it is going to be a problem," opponent Sunny Létourneau told the CBC. She says she only supports non-denominational cemeteries.

The brakes of a tipper truck which crashed and killed four people, were "unusually hot" after the crash, a court heard. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A Canadian town has voted to oppose a zoning change that would allow a Muslim cemetery to be built.

It will use part of the former Varsity Line that was decommissioned in the 1960s and will also connect Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Bedford. In the Autumn Statement, the chancellor said £100m would be spent to "accelerate" the building of the Oxford to Bedford link. It also allocated £10m to explore options for Bedford to Cambridge. The government also announced the proposed Oxford to Cambridge Expressway will receive £27m of funding. The "brain belt" would link existing roads between the two cities and is due to be delivered by the 2020s. The East West Rail Consortium (EWRC) welcomed the news and has predicted the new line will reduce congestion in London. Consortium member and Oxfordshire County Council deputy leader Rodney Road said he hoped the western section would be completed by 2019. Network Rail has also welcomed the the planned restoration of the Varsity Line. The Campaign for Better Transport said the east-west rail link provided a "real opportunity to embrace truly sustainable development for the 21st century". But it criticised the proposed expressway as a "missed opportunity" and predicted it would only increase traffic. Food sales fell by 1.9% compared with the same period last year, with non-food down by 1.8%. When shop price deflation is taken into account, sales fell just 0.2%. However David McCorquodale of KPMG said there were "some positives amongst the sea of negative sales figures in December". He said: "Firstly, the 'sale windows' of Black Friday and post-Christmas saw consumers flock for a discount and this helped to raise the three month average for non-food sales (adjusted for online) to show growth of 0.7% - demonstrating the significant role Black Friday played this Christmas. "Coupled with retail performance throughout the traditional Boxing Day sales, the statistics reflect how consumers today need a bargain before committing to spend." He added: "The true cost at margin level to the retailer will only surface as the campaigns wind down." The fall in the value of sales in December came despite a rise in the number of people visiting the shops. Footfall figures showed an increase of 1.6% in the run up to Christmas - the sixth consecutive month of growth. At the same time online shopping is continuing to grow. The latest estimate is that internet sales account for 10% of total retail sales in the UK. If online spending is taken into account, then non-food sales fell by 0.5%. Clothing and footwear were the best performing categories in this latest survey and are the fastest growing areas over the last twelve months.

The government has announced £110m of funding for an east-west rail link between Oxford and Cambridge. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The value of retail sales in Scotland's shops declined by 1.8% in December, according to the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and KPMG.

The trunk road drops from 150m (492ft) to 20m (65ft) as it enters a valley at the Berriedale Braes. Transport Minister Derek Mackay has confirmed that a number of objections have been received to the initial proposals for the improvements. Last month, Caithness Chamber of Commerce said it was taking too long to agree a plan of action. Transport Scotland said it was continuing to progress the design work. The A9 provides a link to the far north mainland coast and the ferry services at Scrabster, Gills Bay and John O'Groats to Orkney. Police called to Pincey Mead, near Pitsea Road, Basildon, shortly before 17:00 GMT on Saturday found the body in a grey Audi A4. He has been named locally as 30-year-old Vilson Meshi. A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was smoke inhalation. Det Insp Steve Ellis of Essex Police said he wanted to hear from witnesses. "This happened in a residential neighbourhood so I am hopeful someone will have seen or heard something. "I'm keen to speak to anyone who might have seen the vehicle or spotted anyone acting suspiciously in the area." Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. More on this and other stories from Essex After their win over Wexford, Monaghan have been drawn against Carlow. Neither Ulster side will have home advantage for the matches, which will take place on 15 of July. In Round 4A, Donegal will face Galway, whose Connacht final loss to Roscommon meant there was no need for a draw. Having already beaten Mayo in the provincial championship, Galway will avoid a repeat meeting with their neighbours. It means Donegal will play Galway at Markievicz Park in Sligo on 22 July, while Mayo face beaten Munster finalists Cork on the same date at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Armagh are into the third qualifying round for the first time since 2014 following Saturday's five point win over Westmeath and their reward is a chance to gain revenge for their last-minute defeat by Tipperary, which cost them a place in Division Two of the National League. The first championship meeting between the two counties will be held at Semple Stadium at 5pm, 15 July after Tipperary were the first team drawn from the pot this morning. Following their victory in Wexford, Monaghan will face another Leinster opponent this weekend. Carlow were comfortable 2-14 to 0-13 winners over Leitrim in Round 2B and they will once again have home advantage against Malachy O'Rourke's side. The match will also be held on 15 July at Dr Cullen Park in Carlow with a 19:00 BST throw-in.

A public local inquiry is likely to be held into plans to improve a hairpin bend on the A9 in Caithness. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A murder inquiry has been launched after a man's body was found in a burned-out car on a housing estate. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Armagh's qualifier win over Westmeath has earned them a rematch with Tipperary, who denied the Orchard footballers promotion from Division Three of the National League in April.

Briton Froome, 32, finished fourth on Thursday's tough stage 18 and has a 23-second lead over France's Romain Bardet with three stages remaining. But the fight shown by his rivals means a third Froome victory in a row is not certain, Hayles told BBC Radio 5 live. "He hasn't won it yet. He should, but this has been a tough battle," he said. "The way these guys fought up the side of this mountain, they absolutely turned themselves inside out," added the former Olympic track cyclist. Team Sky's Froome also believes overall victory is not yet certain despite having completed "the toughest part of the Tour". Following a flat route on Friday's stage 19, the riders face the final individual time trial on Saturday in the penultimate stage in Marseille. "It's nice to get through the Alps feeling good and looking forward to the time trial now in Marseille," added Froome. "Rigoberto Uran is my biggest threat in Marseille. From the general classification group, he is the next strongest in time trials. He's only 29 seconds behind so he will be the guy to look out for." Media playback is not supported on this device Froome is targeting his first stage victory on the 2017 Tour in Marseille, but says he will "have no regrets" if he rides into Paris wearing the yellow jersey without winning a stage. "I'll do my best to try to win the stage and ride for the jersey. I've already seen the time trial course. It's a very fast 22km course. I'll do my maximum for sure," he said. The Briton could become only the seventh man to win the Tour without securing a stage victory, but Hayles disagrees with claims this would be Froome's easiest yellow jersey. "I've seen a couple of comments saying this is a dull win - this is anything but," said Hayles. "Everybody tried to put pressure on Chris Froome but ultimately they failed. It didn't happen. "He has had to try so hard, the margins are so tight - it's not over yet, he hasn't won it yet." Captain Steve Smith (134 not out) and Adam Voges (106 not out) reached three figures on the second day after Usman Khawaja (144) and Joe Burns (128) had done likewise 24 hours earlier. Australia declared on 551-3 before reducing West Indies to 91-6. The hosts won the first of three Tests by an innings and 212 runs. Smith and Voges resumed on Sunday with Australia 345-3, and their partnership was only ended on 223 when Smith declared. The captain's 134 saw him replace England skipper Alastair Cook as the leading run-scorer in Tests this year, while Voges moved past 1,000 runs in his first year as a Test player. The Windies had reached 35-0 for tea but lost six wickets for just 48 runs on the resumption, with James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon and Peter Siddle taking two apiece. Siddle dismissed Denesh Ramdin and Jason Holder for ducks off successive deliveries at the start of the 41st over but Carlos Brathwaite kept out the hat-trick ball before guiding his side to the close alongside Darren Bravo.

Chris Froome should win his fourth Tour de France title this weekend - but the race is "not over yet", says ex-British road race champion Rob Hayles. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Four Australia players made first-innings centuries as the home side took firm control of the second Test against West Indies in Melbourne.

The pear tree, near Cubbington, in Warwickshire, is one of the oldest in Britain, campaigners say. Transport minister John Hayes said he would look into whether the 200-year-old tree could be replanted in another location. However, experts said replanting the tree would be "prone to failure". The Ancient Tree Forum, a charity set up to promote conservation, said the replanting scheme was "fraught with problems". Neville Fay, founder and former chair of the forum, said: "The tree probably wouldn't survive. "In an ideal world it would be preserved, as would all ancient trees but unfortunately we don't have that kind of protection in the UK." HS2 originally said it would collect DNA from the tree and replant the young trees in the surrounding area. However, Mr Fay said he also doubted whether collecting DNA from the tree would prove effective. "Taking a part of it and growing it on is a very reductionist view," he said. "Yes, there would be an identifiable gene record but it doesn't replicate the time it has taken to create the ancient qualities of that tree as a habitat and as a natural feature." Cubbington Parish Council said it would prefer the proposed HS2 route to tunnel under the tree. The Department for Transport said: "Options for the Cubbington pear tree will be revisited to see whether it can be replanted in another location, away from the proposed HS2 route. "If this further study by HS2 Ltd shows it is still not possible to move the tree, cuttings will be taken and replanted in an effort to save the genetic material." The legal claim alleges agent Brian Dreyfuss was cut out of negotiations regarding the blockbuster franchise. He sued Johnson in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, seeking 10% of the director's Star Wars earnings. Mr Dreyfuss claims he arranged a meeting between Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Johnson in 2012. He also says Johnson told him he was not interested in working on any of the film company's projects. The agent's legal claim states he was fired in March 2014, about a year before Johnson confirmed he would direct the eighth film in the Star Wars franchise. The movie, which has just begun shooting, is due to be released in December 2017. New cast members will include Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern, alongside Episode VII stars such as Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson and Andy Serkis. Mr Dreyfuss claims he began working with Johnson around 2002 and helped him develop his first film, Brick. He says he also encouraged Johnson to direct several episodes of the hit TV series Breaking Bad and the 2012 film Looper, starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Johnson's publicist could not be reached at the time of writing.

Plans to chop down an ancient pear tree to make way for the HS2 high-speed rail link are to be reviewed, the government has said. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A former agent for Rian Johnson, the director of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII, is suing the film-maker two years after he was fired.

Dolton Powell, 21, died after a party at the All Nations Community Centre in Gloucester on 23 August last year. Eight people face murder charges, but a hearing at Bristol Crown Court was told the prosecution needed "time to digest" the Supreme Court ruling. Judges ruled joint enterprise was wrongly used to convict in some cases. Joint enterprise had been used to convict people in gang-related cases if defendants "could" have foreseen violent acts by their associates. However, judges ruled on Wednesday that it was wrong to treat "foresight" as a sufficient test. Joint enterprise law has been used to convict and hand down long sentences in several high-profile cases including the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence. The 18-year-old was stabbed to death in a racially motivated murder in Eltham, south-east London. The joint enterprise ruling will apply in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and most UK overseas common law territories but not in Scotland, which has its own rules on joint enterprise. Following the Supreme Court ruling, prosecuting barrister James Ward told Bristol Crown Court the Dolton Powell murder is "one of the cases which will certainly be affected". The court was told there was a possibility a number of the defendants will not be facing a charge of murder, but a lesser charge of manslaughter. "There certainly remains a count of murder against one, but the remainder of the indictments remains to be seen," added Mr Ward. Close, 20, spent the second half of last season on loan at Eastleigh in the National League. The Portsmouth academy graduate made four cup appearances for his parent club before nine games for Eastleigh. "Hopefully this will be the year when I can get a regular run of games in the side," he said. Walsh has been credited with helping discover bargain signings such as winger Riyad Mahrez for £400,000 and midfielder N'Golo Kante for £5.6m. Fellow assistant Craig Shakespeare - formerly at Hull - has also agreed new terms with the Foxes. "We've not signed but it's all agreed," said former Chelsea scout Walsh. Algerian Mahrez joined from Le Havre in 2014 and was a star player as the Foxes became top-flight champions for the first time in their 132-year history. He was also voted PFA Player of the Year. Frenchman Kante, who was also on the shortlist, was another who played a key role in the side. "It's about knowledge," said Walsh. "You can't know every player in the world - that's impossible. But you target certain leagues and you try and find the better players within that league, and then try and find out about them as much as they can. "Once the season starts you've got until January to make a decision - you don't need to make a snap decision. So if you really believe in a player, get all the DVD evidence clipped up, but then get out and see them." Leicester celebrated their coronation as champions and lifted the trophy on Saturday after beating Everton 3-1 at the King Power Stadium. 17 March 2016 Last updated at 10:27 GMT Sugar tax has got you in a fizz and it seems the lifetime ISA has divided opinion as well. Here's your verdict on the Budget and your marks out of 10 for George Osborne.

Prosecutors are reconsidering murder charges in the trial of eight people following a Supreme Court ruling on the joint enterprise law. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Portsmouth midfielder Ben Close has agreed a new one-year contract with the club, with the option of a 12-month extension to the deal. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Leicester City's head of recruitment and assistant manager Steve Walsh has agreed a new deal with the Premier League champions. [NEXT_CONCEPT] You have been telling us about the issues that matter to you in the chancellor's Budget.

Media playback is not supported on this device McIlroy, 26, posted five bogeys in his first nine holes and dropped a further four shots in his second nine. The world number one has missed the cut at the last two Irish Open tournaments. Ireland's Padraig Harrington, the 2007 winner, shares the lead with Maximilian Kieffer of Germany on four under par with Soren Hansen one shot behind. England's Danny Willett, Argentinian Emiliano Grillo and Dane Soren Kjeldsen are two off the pace after carding rounds of 69 at the Newcastle links course. English trio Luke Donald, Matt Ford and Chris Wood are among seven players nicely placed on one under. Starting at the 10th, world number one McIlroy, who pledged to donate his prize money this week to his charitable foundation, the official tournament host, strayed occasionally off the tee, was repeatedly erratic with his iron play and struggled with the putter throughout. The Northern Irishman has won two of his last four tournaments, the WGC-Cadillac Match Play and Wells Fargo tournament at Quail Hollow, but missed the cut at last week's PGA Championship at Wentworth. "I was caught between trying to play two ways. My poor iron play led to missed greens and I left myself a lot of eight to 12 foot putts for par, pretty much all of which I missed," said McIlroy after his round. McIlroy's playing partner, American world number nine Rickie Fowler, is in contention near the top of the leaderboard on level par, but the third member of the illustrious group, Germany's Martin Kaymer, has a lot of ground to make up on eight over. Fowler was making his first appearance since securing the second PGA Tour win of his career in The Players Championship earlier this month. Graeme McDowell was two under after 15 holes but the former US Open winner bogeyed the final three holes of his round, the seventh, eighth and ninth, to drop back to one over. The third of the host nation's recent major winners, European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke, lies well back on four over, but his compatriot Michael Hoey fared better on level par. Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez is one over, while Lee Westwood registered a three-over-74 in the windy conditions in front of a sell-out 20,000 crowd at the seaside links. Ernie Els, playing in the Irish Open for the first time since 1998, had a level-par round, but 1999 tournament winner Sergio Garcia is down the pack on four over. A first prize of £294,000 is on offer for the winner on Sunday. Ex-swimmer Lauren Steadman continued her unbeaten record in the PT4 event, winning by almost three minutes. Alison Patrick, who like Steadman has achieved the qualifying criteria for the Rio Paralympics, was victorious in her PT5 event. Andy Lewis gave his Paralympic hopes a huge boost by winning the PT2 event, while Lizzie Tench claimed gold in the women's PT1 category in Portugal. Tench's event is not part of the Rio programme. Lewis, who was ranked 10th in the world coming into the event, beat the top two in the world rankings, Michele Ferrarin from Italy and France's Stephane Bahier. The 33-year-old from Gloucester, who lost his leg after a motorbike accident when he was 16, put in a superb performance on the 5km run to claim victory. "I don't know what to say," he told BBC Sport. "I've only been doing triathlon for 20 months. I left my job not knowing where it was going to go and I can't believe it." There were also silver medals for Faye McClelland (PT4) and Melissa Reid (PT5) while Joe Townsend, who lost both of his legs while serving with the Royal Marines in Afghanistan, took bronze in the Men's PT1 event.

Rory McIlroy faces an uphill battle to make the cut at the Irish Open after carding a nightmare nine-over-par 80 in the first round at Royal County Down. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Britain have won four golds at the European Paratriathlon Championships.

Onomah, 20, was in the England team that won the Under-20 World Cup in June. He made his Spurs debut aged 17 and played 32 times for Mauricio Pochettino's side. "I can't wait to get started. I know that promotion is the aim and I am here to help us achieve that," he told the club website. Onomah, who had three years left on his previous Spurs contract, could make his debut for Villa in Saturday's opening Championship match against Hull City. He made 12 senior appearances for Spurs in 2016-17, including a Champions League debut off the bench at Bayer Leverkusen. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. Media playback is not supported on this device On Tuesday, BBC Radio Norfolk reported that the Championship club had talked to O'Neill but he distanced himself from the role on Wednesday. Norwich sacked Alex Neil in March, with Alan Irvine appointed interim manager. Asked on Wednesday, if he had had any contact with the Canaries, formal or informal, O'Neill replied: "No." "Nothing at all. There has been no contact between myself and Norwich City," O'Neill told BBC Sport Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland boss added:"Realistically, it's probably not what I would be looking for at this minute in time. "I think the club are probably in the market for a head coach. I'm a manager. I've managed my country for the last five years and I intend to manage my country going forward. "Any approach would have to be made through the Irish FA and it is my understanding that has not happened." O'Neill added that the story "is just something which has obviously come from the media in England". Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson added: "In keeping with our policy, we refuse to comment on speculation regarding our manager." O'Neill, 47, led Northern Ireland to the last 16 at Euro 2016, having signed a new four-year deal in March 2016. Tuesday's report stated that O'Neill had been one of several candidates being spoken to. O'Neill's current deal with the Irish FA includes a release clause fee of £750,000 for Premier League clubs, although it is understood to be lower for Championship sides. City are expected to appoint a new head coach soon after the final game of the season, against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.

Tottenham midfielder Josh Onomah has signed a new four-year deal and joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill has insisted that he has had "no contact" with Norwich City over the Canaries position.

Relatives of the victim wept in the Massachusetts courthouse as the verdict was announced on live television. Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was arrested in 2013 and charged with killing Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Lloyd's body was found with six bullet wounds less than a mile from Hernandez's home. At the time, Hernandez had a contract worth $40m (£27m). But within hours of his arrest, the Patriots sacked Hernandez, considered one of the top tight ends playing the game. Hernandez is not an isolated case. NFL players have been charged with any number of crimes over the years, from rape to dog-fighting. Active NFL players are aged, in the main, between 21 and 34 and the arrest rate for that demographic is one in eight. The arrest rate for people of Hernandez's age - he was 23 - is a startling one in six. Does the NFL have a crime problem? During closing arguments, his defence team acknowledged that he was present during the murder but said others committed the crime. Prosecutors say Hernandez planned the "orchestrated execution" because of an incident in a night club, and then helped to cover it up. The 25-year-old was found guilty of murder and other weapons charges on the seventh day of jury deliberations. In a tearful statement to the court, Lloyd's mother Ursula Ward called him the "backbone of the family". The 33-year-old is likely to miss at least four league games, plus the Champions League trip to Barcelona and FA Cup replay against Hull. He was injured when he ran back to his area after going up for a corner in Wednesday's 2-1 home defeat by Swansea. The Gunners are third in the table, six points adrift of leaders Leicester, and three behind second-placed Tottenham. Arsenal, who are trying to win a first Premier League title since 2004, visit north London rivals Spurs on Saturday. The lawsuit alleged that Tesco's overstatement of its profits guidance, revealed last year, breached certain US securities laws. The cash settlement was disclosed on Wednesday in the US District Court in Manhattan and requires court approval. Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket group, has not admitted any liability. The retailer said in September 2014 it had overstated its profit guidance for the first half of the year by £250m after incorrectly booking payments from suppliers. The announcement sent Tesco's New York-listed shares down by 15% the following day. American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) account for about 2% of Tesco shares. Tesco later raised the estimated overstatement of profits to £263m. The incident led to an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office and other regulators. The legal action claimed that Tesco had misled investors about its financial health. Kim Miller, a partner at Kahn Swick & Foti, called the settlement an "outstanding recovery". The average recovery will be 37 cents per ADR before fees and expenses of about 30%, court papers showed. Tesco shares, which are down almost 10% this year, rose 1.5% to 171.1p in morning trading on Thursday. Analysts at Shore Capital maintained their "hold" recommendation on the stock. "We believe that chief executive Dave Lewis and his team deserve considerable credit for the way in which they have stabilised an organisation in a state of chaos - the settlement of class actions in the USA merely serving to remind us of the challenges that management have faced over the last year," they said in a note.

Former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez has been found guilty of the first-degree murder of his friend, another American footballer. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech will be out for three to four weeks with a calf injury, says manager Arsene Wenger. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Tesco will pay $12m (£8m) to settle legal action by US shareholders which claimed that accounting irregularities inflated the supermarket's share price.

Frazer, 26, sustained serious knee ligament damage in a training session with German club Mannheimer. She will undergone surgery next week and will definitely miss the opening qualifiers in Kuala Lumpur in January. Frazer could also be a doubt for the final qualifiers next July. Ireland should be capable of progressing from the Malaysian tournament in January when they will be up against lower-ranked opposition and require only a top-three finish. However the next stage of the process in either Belgium or South Africa will be much more taxing as Ireland will need to beat higher-ranked nations to qualify. The Londonderry woman was distraught after suffering the injury in seemingly innocuous circumstances. She said: "I have completely ruptured my anterior cruciate and partially torn my medial cruciate ligament and I am having surgery on 3 November and it will take six to nine months recovery from then." "I am completely devastated that I am missing the tournament in Malaysia for definite and also unable to finish my first season with Mannheimer. "I was running fast with the ball unopposed in training and went to pass it off my right foot but it just gave way and I fell and it was extremely painful." Mannheimer's Director of Sport, Peter Leemen added: "She will be operated on by a specialist, who has already performed this type of surgery on other players in the team." "The cartilage in the knee is completely in order which is important for a good healing process but it´s is such a pity as Megan was settling in so well with the club and her team-mates." Frazer was able to travel with the Ireland squad for two international defeats in Belgium earlier this week and found the experience at least went some way towards cushioning the blow. She added: "It was great to be around the team again and it really lifted my mood. Luckily I don't have too much pain and have started to work on my pre-surgery exercises." Sergeant Michael Galvin, based in Donegal, killed himself at Ballyshannon police station on 28 May. He was being investigated by the police ombudsman over his statement about a woman's death in a traffic accident. The ombudsman has announced it is shutting down its own investigation. In a statement, reported on RTÉ , it said it had been listening to the concerns of Sgt Galvin's family, colleagues and public commentary. It said while much of it had been misleading, inaccurate and inflammatory it did have the potential to damage public confidence in the police oversight system. It added: "We were aware of the possibility of our investigation becoming compromised due to our prior engagement with Sgt Galvin. "Following our consultations today, we have come to believe that we need stronger vindication of the appropriateness of our interactions with Sgt Galvin. We are therefore calling on the Minister for Justice to consider a Section 109 investigation. In other words, appointing a judicial figure to examine our interaction. "We do not believe it is reasonably practicable for us to continue with our investigation," the statement added. Ms Fitzgerald welcomed the fact that the police ombudsman had discontinued its own investigation into the death of Sgt Galvin. Earlier the Garda Representative Association, which represents more than 10,000 rank and file police officers in the Republic of Ireland, said that the police ombudsman should not be involved in the investigation. Cy Cooper, 44, was pulled from the blaze at the property on Bluebell Close at about 00:25 BST on Wednesday, but was pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem examination revealed he died from multiple injuries, none of which was related to the fire. Paul Anthony Noel Cain, 23, of no fixed abode, is to appear before Sheffield Magistrates' Court later. Three men and a woman, who were all initially arrested on suspicion of murder, have been released without charge. Detectives said the fire was being treated as arson and a joint investigation with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue was under way to confirm the cause.

Ireland women's hopes of reaching the 2018 World Cup finals have been dealt a blow with the news that skipper Megan Frazer could be ruled out of the entire qualifying period by injury. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The Irish Justice Minister, Frances Fitzgerald, is to establish an independent judicial inquiry into the matters surrounding the death of a police sergeant. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A man has been charged with murder after a suspected arson attack at a house in Sheffield.

Wasps, who will start playing games at the Ricoh Arena from December, say they understand it is a sensitive time and have attempted to address supporters' concerns on their website. Alexander Hayton has supported Wasps since 1998, when he was 10 years old. "It feels very much that as a fanbase we've been abused," he told BBC Sport. "There's a loyalty the fans have shown the club the last few seasons. As far as I'm concerned loyalty swings both ways. "I will never support another club. Once a Wasp, always a Wasp. But my time of regularly attending home games is over unfortunately." The Premiership club have traditionally been located in the north west London area during its 147-year history, predominantly in Sudbury, and have spent the past 12 years paying rent to play at Wycombe Wanderers' Adams Park ground. Owner Derek Richardson saved Wasps from going into administration two years ago, but the club have continued to lose £3m a year. Wasps completed a deal to buy a 50% share in the Ricoh Arena on Tuesday and say the move "gives the club the best opportunity to thrive as a business, which will support further investment in the squad". "It's sad to leave London but there was no other choice. You can't sustain a business on gates of 5,000," said Wasps captain James Haskell. Hayton has amassed more than 2,000 signatures on his e-petition opposing the move. "It's sad the club has shown us no loyalty whatsoever," he said. "One of the great things about Adams Park is the number of kids you get there. If they're playing rugby with their school in the morning, can they get up to Coventry in time for a game? "I think Wasps as we know it are dead. You can't look at a club that has been in a location for 150 years and say the location has nothing to do with its identity. "Wasps have assumed a model of seeing sports clubs as franchises rather than part of the local community. That's broken what made Wasps a great club." Murray, 28, previously suggested that playing the whole competition would be tough in a congested summer that includes the Olympics. But before this weekend's first-round tie against Japan he said he would play in a quarter-final that falls between Wimbledon and the Rio Games. "That's the plan, but it's hypothetical just now," said the world number two. If Britain can get past Japan, who include world number six Kei Nishikori, they will face either Kazakhstan or world number one Novak Djokovic's Serbia. That tie would come a week after the Wimbledon final and a week before the Masters tournament in Toronto, which in turn ends six days before the Olympic competition gets under way in Rio. Immediately after that comes the Masters event in Cincinnati, which is the final major tournament before the US Open in New York. "Providing everything goes well, I would play in the Davis Cup, then have a little break and play Toronto and the Olympics, and potentially not play in Cincinnati," Murray told BBC Sport. "I've always enjoyed representing my country. Statistically I've played by far my best tennis when I've played for Great Britain." Media playback is not supported on this device Meanwhile, GB captain Leon Smith said a back injury sustained by Kyle Edmund, who is likely to join Murray in playing the singles rubbers against Japan, will be assessed on Thursday. "We stopped the practice straight away because he has actually played a lot of tennis," said Smith. "The guys have had a look at it, but you have to wait and see how it calms down. "We will probably give it a run-out tomorrow before we make any final decisions." If Edmund is deemed unfit to start the tie on Friday, his place is likely to go to Dan Evans, who would be playing in front of a home crowd in Birmingham. Elsewhere, captain Lleyton Hewitt could come out of retirement to play for Australia in their tie against the United States. Hewitt, 35, called time on his career after the Australian Open in January, but is on stand-by if Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic fail to recover from illness and injury respectively.

A Wasps supporter who has initiated a petition against the club's move from High Wycombe to Coventry has said fans have been let down. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Andy Murray says he will play a full part in Great Britain's Davis Cup defence this year.

The Sewol sank off Jindo island on 16 April 2014, killing 304 people, almost all of them children. The bodies of nine people have never been recovered and relatives have long campaigned for them to be found. The ship was raised in March after almost three years on the sea floor and towed to port. Workers are searching the silt and debris inside the wreck to search for human remains, while divers are looking on the seabed where the ferry had been lying. The 34-centimetre bone was found at the site of the sinking. "The result of a DNA test on a bone piece identified it as Danwon high school teacher Ko Chang-seok," the maritime ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The sinking of the Sewol shocked the nation. Most of those on board were teenagers from the same high school. Many obeyed erroneous crew instructions to remain in their cabins as the ship sank. The disaster was blamed on a combination of illegal redesigns, cargo overloading, the inexperience of the crew member steering the vessel, and lax government regulations. The ship's captain was later convicted of murder. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Boeing's plan, which it said requires it to "conduct extensive testing and analysis". But the FAA gave no indication of when the planes might be allowed to carry passengers again. All 50 Dreamliners in operation were grounded after the batteries emitted smoke on several separate occasions. The plane is the first plane in the world to use the lithium-ion batteries, which are lighter, hold more power and recharge more quickly. The FAA has also approved limited test flights for two aircraft to test the changes in the batteries. "This comprehensive series of tests will show us whether the proposed battery improvements will work as designed," said US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "We won't allow the plane to return to service unless we're satisfied that the new design ensures the safety of the aircraft and its passengers." Boeing said its plan included three "layers" of improvements: Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney said in a statement: "Our top priority is the integrity of our products and the safety of the passengers and crews who fly on them. "Our team has been working around the clock to understand the issues and develop a solution based on extensive analysis and testing following the events that occurred in January." Mr McNerney described the FAA's approval as "a critical and welcome milestone toward getting the fleet flying again and continuing to deliver on the promise of the 787". The 787 is said to be one of the most fuel-efficient in the industry, and Boeing delivered 46 Dreamliners to customers in 2012. But a series of events in January brought its safety into question. Problems occurred on several planes owned by Japanese airlines. One plane had a cracked cockpit window, another had a fuel leak and a third plane made an emergency landing after a smoke alert went off. On 7 January, a fire started in a lithium-ion battery pack of a Japan Airlines 787 in Boston, prompting the US regulator to step in and ground the 787s. Japanese carrier ANA lost some 1.4bn yen ($15m; £9.5m) in revenue through January's disruption alone.

A piece of bone found on the site of the Sewol ferry disaster off South Korea has been confirmed as belonging to one of the missing victims. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The US airline regulator has approved a plan to redesign the lithium-ion batteries of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

When the daughters of the late Mr Purushothaman turned up to collect his body, they were given the remains of another man - AP Kanthy. But the Ernakulam Medical Centre insisted it was the right person. It later emerged that their father's body had already been released to Mr Kanthy's family and cremated. Both men had died within the same 24-hour period. The women had been caused "mental agony" over not being able to cremate their father, a consumer court said. It dismissed the hospital's claim that the other family was to blame. Mr Kanthy's body was released to his family, who held a second cremation ceremony, this time with the right body. The incident occurred in early January 2010. Mr Purushothaman died in late December and his daughters had asked the hospital to hold their father's body for two days as they were out of town. The women had asked for damages of 10 million rupees but the judge said a sum of 2.5m rupees was "reasonable". The truce will come into force from midnight on Sunday, according to the official Saudi news agency. However, the coalition said it reserved the right to respond to "military activity or movement" by Houthi rebels during the ceasefire. The announcement followed air strikes in Taiz province, which reportedly killed 120 people, including civilians. Missiles fired by coalition forces hit a residential area in the Red Sea town of Mokha on Friday, flattening buildings, the Associated Press reports. Children and elderly people, were among the dead. "It just shows what is the trend now of the airstrikes from the coalition," said Hassan Boucenine from the medical charity Doctors Without Borders. "Now, it's a house, it's a market, it's anything," he added. A resident of Taiz, Abulkader Al Guneid, told the BBC that there were shortages of most basic necessities, including diesel and vegetables. "We have power cut. We have internet cut. We have everything cut," he added. Aid agencies say a blockade on Yemen has worsened the humanitarian crisis which is gripping the country. More than 80% of Yemen's 25 million people now need some form of aid. The Saudi-led coalition has been bombing Houthi militia and army forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh since 26 March. It aims to defeat the rebels, who now control most of the country, and restore the government of exiled President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Saudi Arabia says the rebels are hiding troops and weapons in civilian areas to prevent them being targeted by air strikes. But the UN has warned the coalition that indiscriminate bombing of populated areas is against international law. The unexpected ceasefire was announced after President Hadi wrote to Saudi's King Salman asking for a break, to allow humanitarian supplies to be delivered. A week-long truce brokered by the United Nations failed earlier this month. At least 1,693 civilians have been killed in fighting in Yemen, with almost 4,000 people wounded. The UN said the majority of casualties were caused by air strikes. Houthis - The Zaidi Shia Muslim rebels from the north overran Sanaa last year and then expanded their control. They want to replace Mr Hadi, whose government they say is corrupt. The US alleges Iran is providing military assistance to the rebels. Ali Abdullah Saleh - Military units loyal to the former president - forced to hand over power in 2011 after mass protests - are fighting alongside the Houthis. Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi - The president fled abroad in March as the rebels advanced on Aden, where he had taken refuge in February. Loyal soldiers, Sunni Muslim tribesmen and Southern separatists have formed militia to fight the rebels. Saudi-led coalition - A US-backed coalition of nine, mostly Sunni Arab states says it is seeking to "defend the legitimate government" of Mr Hadi. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - AQAP opposes both the Houthis and President Hadi. A rival affiliate of Islamic State has also recently emerged. Frontline voices from Yemen conflict Failure 'not an option for Saudis' Meeting the Houthis - and their enemies ________

A hospital in the southern Indian state of Kerala has been fined 2.5m rupees ($36,890) after a mix-up involving two dead bodies meant for cremation. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The Saudi-led coalition is to suspend bombardment of rebels in Yemen for five days, so aid can reach civilians.

Former Irish international Michelle Harvey scored both goals for the Belfast side. Ballymoney were beaten by Irish Hockey League side Pembroke Wanderers 3-1. Last season's beaten finalists Ards lost 6-5 on penalty flicks to Cork Harlequins after the sides had finished 1-1 at Portaferry Road. Tamara McLeod had deflected in Chloe Brown's crash ball into the circle to give the North Down side the lead before Rosie Upton's fine effort from just inside the circle pegged them back. Ards had been beaten on strokes in last season's decider by Ulster Elks and met the same fate again. After the first 10 strokes were converted, Brown saw her effort saved and Upton stepped up to give Cork the win. Haley O'Donnell scored twice for Pembroke before Jess Moore replied Ballymoney but Rachel Scott secured the victory for Wanderers with a second-half strike. The final place in the semi-finals went to UCD. In the big game of the last eight, they came from 2-0 and 3-2 down against Hermes/Monkstown to draw 3-3 before going on to win 7-6 on penalties. Ulster's Katie Mullan scored two of UCD's goals. The semi-final draw will take place on Monday. Cameroon, who qualify automatically as hosts, are in Group B alongside 1976 champions Morocco, Malawi and either Comoros or Mauritius. Record seven-time winners Egypt will meet North African rivals Tunisia, who won in 2004, in Group J. Meanwhile, two-time winners Nigeria will face 1996 Nations Cup winners South Africa in Group E. Group G also features a clash between Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with both sides having previously lifted the trophy. In addition to hosts Cameroon, the 12 group winners will qualify alongside the the three best runners-up. Should the Indomitable Lions top their group, the second-placed side in Group B will contest the finals. The group stage of qualifying starts in June and concludes in November 2018. Draw in full: A: Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, Sao Tome/Madagascar B: Cameroon, Morocco, Malawi, Comoros/Mauritius C: Mali, Gabon, Burundi, Djibouti/South Sudan D: Algeria, Togo, Benin, The Gambia E: Nigeria, South Africa, Libya, Seychelles F: Ghana, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya G: DR Congo, Congo, Zimbabwe, Liberia H: Ivory Coast, Guinea, Central African Republic, Rwanda I: Burkina Faso, Angola, Botswana, Mauritania J: Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Swaziland K: Zambia, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia L: Cape Verde, Uganda, Tanzania, Lesotho

Pegasus are the only Ulster club through to the semi-finals of the women's Irish Cup after they beat Loreto 2-1 in Dublin. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The qualifying draw for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations has pitted several former champions against one another.

Box office receipts for female stand-up comedians in the UK now account for 14% of all sales, up from just 2% in 2009, according to a new Ticketmaster report. Millican and Hart have been the biggest live draws in the past five years, followed by Dawn French. Lee Evans was the most popular comic, with Hart the highest rated female. She finished joint 10th with Frankie Boyle in a survey of comedy gig attendees. However, the number of people going to see female comedy acts has trebled since 2011, with the number of events involving female comics going up more than ten fold in the last five years. Hart and Millican have had their own television shows in recent years, with the findings further revealing that more than half of total audiences are more likely to pay to see someone they have already watched on the small screen. The pair also embarked on a series of major national tours in recent years, encompassing some of the UK's largest venues. TOP FIVE MOST POPULAR COMICS 1. Lee Evans (pictured) 2. Michael McIntyre 3. Peter Kay 4. John Bishop 5. Jimmy Carr Source: Ticketmaster's State of Play: Comedy report However, Australian comedy act Pam Ann, who has made less of an impact on mainstream TV, was placed fourth in the rundown of the most popular female comics. Stand-up comic Shappi Khorsandi said: "It's great to see the surge in female comedians, stamping out the prejudice. We have still further to go though, I'd like to see more female comics enjoying the dominance that men do on the bigger stages. "Perhaps we are not capturing the public's imagination in the same way, but it is all changing for the better," she added. The State of Play: Comedy report also examined audience behaviour at live concerts, revealing that less than a quarter of respondents saying they have heckled a performer. In 2014, they are more likely to check their mobile phone at regular intervals during the gig (32%). Ticketmaster surveyed 2499 members of the public including 1259 people who had attended live gigs. The Welsh team issued a statement confirming that Michu had "completed a medical earlier today and will now link up with Rafa Benitez's side". The Spain forward, 28, did not travel to the USA for Swansea's pre-season tour because of the talks with Napoli. The president of the Italian side, Aurelio de Laurentiis, tweeted a welcome message: "Benvenuto a Michu." It was understood that the Serie A club wanted Michu on loan, while the Swans were thought to be keen on a permanent deal. Michu will play in Italy for at least a season, while Napoli may exercise their right to buy during the loan spell. The Spaniard joined Swansea from Rayo Vallecano for £2.2m during the summer of 2012 and was the club's top scorer with 22 goals in his first full season. His performances saw him linked with big-money moves, but he extended his stay in south Wales by signing a four-year deal in January 2013. The former Oviedo and Celta de Vigo player's second season with the Swans was marred by knee and ankle problems and he scored only two goals in 15 starts in the Premier League. Before the club left for the States, Swansea manager Garry Monk said he planned to hold talks with Michu and wanted the striker to stay. But former Wales and Swansea winger Leighton James believes the time is right for his former club to sell Michu, even though he has two years remaining of his current contract. "If he's going to go, then get it sorted," James had previously told BBC Radio Wales Sport. "Even before he was injured last season he was giving out the impression that he didn't want to be here. "His price has dropped drastically through his poor form last season and his long-term injury. "So you can't expect to command the same sort of fee that you could have done 12 months ago after he had such a good season. "But it doesn't do the club, the players or the manager any good to have this hanging over their heads during pre-season."

Female comics are enjoying a surge in popularity, with audiences flocking to see live acts including Miranda Hart and Sarah Millican. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Swansea City striker Michu has joined Napoli on a season-long loan with an agreed option to buy.

Jermaine McCalla, of Suremove Bristol, took a £375 holding fee from an undercover actor posing as someone looking for a flat. He was filmed saying it covered taking the property off the market, checking references and other services. A day later the actor decided not to go ahead as part of the BBC investigation, but was refused his money back. Mr McCalla told him all agency fees and holding deposits were non-refundable, despite not carrying out most of the work he said it was for. A spokesperson for The Property Redress Scheme said he had broken the code of practice in doing this and should give most of the deposit back. Ombudsman Sean Hooker told BBC Inside Out West: "The agent should have produced a holding deposit agreement which sets out what the holding deposit would be used for and the circumstances when this would or wouldn't be refunded. "This document should have been explained to the prospective tenant and they should then be asked to sign it if they are in agreement." He added that the agent would be obliged to produce evidence showing what work was completed before a refund was requested. Inside Out West heard from a tenant who said Mr McCalla failed to mandatorily register a deposit with the government's deposit protection scheme. The programme also found an example of money that Mr McCalla had charged for unexplained services. Mike Sergison and Eadie McCarthy were left with no alternative but to pay an extra £940 to Mr McCalla on the day they were due to move into a property he had secured for them. The couple said they had already paid him holding and security deposits and one month's rent in advance, when Mr McCalla asked for the further amount to cover "agency fees". They said they reluctantly paid the money to avoid being made homeless. Ms McCarthy said: "We still haven't received a receipt of what this money was for or where it has gone." Proceedings to wind up Suremove Bristol were lodged in December. Mr McCalla has not responded to correspondence sent to him by the BBC regarding the matter. Inside Out is broadcast on BBC One West at 19:30 GMT on Monday 7 March. The firm recently found that managers of a factory in Syria had paid local armed groups in order to stay open. Mr Olsen said he had not been involved in any wrongdoing, and was standing down to bring "serenity" to the Swiss-French company. Lafarge is the world's biggest supplier of concrete, cement and aggregates. In his statement, Mr Olsen said his decision was "driven by my conviction that it will contribute to addressing strong tensions that have recently arisen around the Syria case". "While I was absolutely not involved in, nor even aware of, any wrongdoing I believe my departure will contribute to bringing back serenity to a company that has been exposed for months on this case," he added. In March, the group explained that its own internal investigation had discovered that the company's managers at its Jalabiya plant in northern Syria had, until 2014, paid protection money to various local militias as the political and military situation deteriorated during the country's civil war. In its latest update, the company confirmed that the payments had indeed been made but agreed that Mr Olsen was not to blame. "The board has concluded that Eric Olsen was not responsible for, nor thought to be aware of, any wrongdoings that have been identified as part of its review," it said. The Syrian factory started up in 2010, after an investment of $680m over three years, and stopped operating in September 2014. LafargeHolcim was formed in 2015 by the merger of the French Lafarge company and its Swiss rival Holcim and now has its headquarters in Switzerland. Mr Olsen was promoted to chief executive at the time and was today praised by the company for his "invaluable" contribution in overseeing the merger. "Eric Olsen is a leader who brought together two companies to create one genuinely global champion," said Beat Hess, the chairman of the group. "We are very grateful to him for his efforts." The company is now looking for a new chief executive and Mr Hess will act as interim chief executive for the time being.

A rogue letting agent has refused to return a deposit following a series of complaints about his conduct. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The head of cement maker LafargeHolcim, Eric Olsen, is stepping down from the role following an investigation into the company's activities in Syria.

Anthony Fuggle, 57, of Sutton, taught at Colet Court, the junior division of St Paul's Preparatory School in Barnes, south-west London. Mr Fuggle has been charged with 11 offences of making indecent images of children and six counts of possessing indecent images of children. He is reported to have resigned from his post after his arrest in September. He will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on 20 June. Mr Fuggle is the first person to be charged under Operation Winthorpe, which was set up by the Metropolitan Police to investigate allegations of historic sexual abuse and misconduct at St Paul's and Colet Court. Movistar completed the 43.3km course to Banyoles two seconds faster than BMC, with Briton Froome's Team Sky in third. The Trek-Segafredo team of Spain's Alberto Contador, another favourite for overall victory, was one minute 15 seconds behind. Valverde leads the seven-stage Spanish race after a penalty to a team-mate. Jose Joaquin Rojas had been declared the new race leader but was later punished with a three-minute time penalty for "pushing a team-mate", race organisers said. Wednesday's third stage is an 188.3km ride from Mataro that features three category one climbs on the way to La Molina. "It's a first big effort back at a Pro Tour level this season," said Froome, now 18th in the overall standings. "We'll see what we can do in the next few days. Hopefully we've got a few cards to play, with La Molina tomorrow and a big mountain-top finish on Friday. "We're not the only ones who have lost time, so it might be in all of our interests to ride an aggressive race. Hopefully we'll light things up at some point." Stage Two result: 1. Movistar (Spain) 48mins 55secs 2. BMC Racing (United States) +2secs 3. Team Sky (Britain) +46secs 4. Trek (United States) +1min 15secs 5. Orica (Australia) +1min 24secs 6. FDJ (France) +1min 44secs 7. LottoNL (Netherlands) +1min 48secs 8. Astana (Kazakhstan) +2mins 5secs 9. Lotto (Belgium) +2mins 10secs 10. Quick-Step (Belgium) +2mins 13secs General classification: 1. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar) 5hrs 17mins 16secs 2. Ruben Fernandez (Spain / Movistar) Same time 3. Imanol Erviti (Spain / Movistar) 4. Marc Soler (Spain / Movistar) 5. Jonathan Castroviejo (Spain / Movistar) 6. Ben Hermans (Belgium / BMC Racing) +2secs 7. Brent Bookwalter (U.S. / BMC Racing) Same time 8. Tejay van Garderen (U.S. / BMC Racing) 9. Rohan Dennis (Australia / BMC Racing) 10. Kilian Franikiny (Switzerland / BMC Racing) British standings: 13. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) +46secs 14. Peter Kennaugh (Britain / Team Sky) Same time 18. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 27. Adam Yates (Britain / Orica) +1min 24secs

A former classics master at a London school has been charged with possessing indecent images of children. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Chris Froome lost 46 seconds on Volta a Catalunya rival Alejandro Valverde as the Spaniard's Movistar team won stage two's team time trial.

The 30-year-old scored 23 goals in 42 matches for Chester this season but turned down a deal to remain with the Blues. Barrow, who ended the season in 11th, have made the former Bradford front man their third summer signing. It follows the additions of striker Richard Bennett, 25, and defender Moussa Diarra, 26, on Sunday. Mohammed Zubair battered Ahmedin Khyel and Imran Khan to death in the attack in Bradford in 2011. The taxi driver then dumped their bodies on a secluded road and took a flight to Islamabad. A jury at Bradford Crown Court found him guilty on Tuesday. He was sentenced earlier to a minimum term of 31 years. Live updates and news from Yorkshire The court heard Zubair was detained in Pakistan in November 2013 but not returned to the UK until May 2016 after he appealed against extradition, the court heard. It was the first extradition from Pakistan to the UK in 10 years, police said at the time. Judge Rodney Jameson QC said the 36-year-old fled the country intending never to return. Jurors were told Mr Khyel had been having an affair with Zubair's wife Kainat Bibi and the defendant had known about it for some months, the court heard. Mr Khyel, 35, from London, and his friend Mr Khan, 27, from Bradford, had gone to Zubair's home in Heath Terrace, Bradford. believing it was safe. But the defendant knew they were coming and went to the property. Mr Khyel had been struck by at least six "savage blows", most of them with a dumb-bell bar. His skull was fractured and fragments driven into the brain, said the judge. Mr Khan suffered "not less than 13 blows" and his skull was also fractured, he added. Det Supt Simon Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "Zubair fled the country shortly after he had killed his victims in the belief that he would also escape justice for these horrendous crimes."

Barrow have signed striker Ross Hannah from National League rivals Chester on a two-year deal. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A man who beat his wife's lover and another man to death in a "savage" attack before fleeing to Pakistan has been jailed for life.

The attack on Rosedernat Orange Hall on Lislaban Road is believed to have happened between 23:30 BST on Saturday and 11:30 BST on Sunday. Also on Sunday, a union flag was stolen and a flag pole was damaged at Roden Orange Hall in Kilkeel, County Down. Police are investigating a possible link to similar thefts of union flags at addresses in Kilkeel at the weekend. Several flag poles were damaged when flags were stolen between the Manse Road and Knockchree Avenue on Saturday night. Officers have appealed for witnesses. In a statement, a Grand Lodge spokesman confirmed senior members would be raising hall security with the PSNI. "These latest attacks, though separate, are yet further examples of the intolerant sectarianism displayed by a minority who continue to manifest their hatred towards the Orange Institution, by attacking our properties on a regular basis," he said. "Although the nature of the incidents is clearly different - the criminal intent is very much the same by the bigoted and narrow-minded individuals responsible." Sinn Féin North Antrim MLA Philip McGuigan condemned the attack: "Sectarianism is wrong no matter where its source and sectarian attacks like this need to be condemned by us all." He added those responsible "have nothing positive to offer the local North Antrim community". Polish fighter Fonfara, who is based in the American city, has a 27-3 record with 16 knockouts. Welshman, 28, Cleverly has decided to face the 27-year-old rather than WBA champion Juergen Braehmer. "This is a another big opportunity for me. I've had two good performances in the States but this one is on a big platform," he told BBC Radio Wales. "It's probably the biggest fight of my life, but I'm confident. Preparations have gone well and it's just a matter now of performing. "There's no reason for me not to perform - I'm ready, I'm hungry, I'm firing and ready to showcase against Andrzej Fonfara." Cleverly, a former WBO light-heavyweight lost to Tony Bellew at cruiserweight in November 2014 but made his comeback at light-heavyweight with a 24-second stoppage of Czech journeyman Tomas Man last May. Fonfara's last fight was a nine-round stoppage of former middleweight world champion Chavez Jr. "I'm excited to return to my hometown of Chicago on this big fight night against a world-class fighter like Nathan Cleverly," said Fonfara, who will be fighting at the city's UIC Pavilion for the 14th time. "This will be a tough fight for both of us. Cleverly is a solid fighter and it's no fluke that he was a world champion and that he defended his belt so many times."

Paint has been thrown over an Orange Hall in Cloughmills, County Antrim, in what police described as a hate crime. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Nathan Cleverly's light-heavyweight bout against Andrzej Fonfara will be held in Chicago on 16 October.

A fifth of nursery providers delivering the current 15 hours' entitlement say they won't be offering the new 30 hours when the scheme starts in September. Official data shows 44,250 providers plan to offer the full entitlement, against 54,900 offering 15 hours now. The government is spending a record £6bn on childcare by 2020. The Department for Education said its survey was conducted between March and July 2016, before the full funding details for 30-hour provision were finalised. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, has long said many of those providing care for three and four-year-olds would be unwilling to deliver the 30-hour offer without extra funding. "What's most alarming is that these figures were gathered at a time when many providers thought they would be receiving close to the average funding rate of £4.88 per hour," he said. "With final rates currently being confirmed across the country, and many providers discovering that they'll be receiving significantly less, we would expect the number of settings opting out of the 30-hour offer to be even higher than these statistics suggest." Local authorities are currently telling their local providers how much they will be paying. Mr Leitch added that the fact that rates were being frozen until 2020 could make things worse because costs such as wages, rents and mortgages were likely to increase significantly. The DfE data shows that there are currently 22,700 pre-schools and nurseries offering 15 hours of free entitlement. But only 14,600 pre-schools and nurseries say they definitely plan to offer the 30 hours. Meanwhile 8,200 primary schools with nurseries currently offer the 15 hours, but only 3,900 say they intend to offer 30 hours. In addition, 350 maintained nursery schools plan to offer the 30 hours, compared with 400 that currently offer the 15 hours. The only provider type likely to see an increase is childminders, with 25,400 planning to offer the 30 hours, compared with 23,600 who currently offer the 15 hours. The figures come not long after research suggested the DfE had significantly underestimated the number of children likely to be eligible for the extra hours offer. But they also suggest that 60% of larger, group-based providers intend to offer the 30 hours. The DfE said in a statement: "Since this survey was conducted, we have published our Early Years National Funding Formula, which will see increased hourly funding rates for the vast majority of providers and our Early Implementers are now successfully delivering the offer a year early." A minimum funding level of £4.30 per hour has since been set centrally. The series starts in Brisbane on 22 October with the first of three one-day internationals. The day-night Test match at the North Sydney Oval starts on 9 November and will be followed by three Twenty20 internationals. Australia regained the Women's Ashes - a multi-format, points-based contest - in 2015. The first men's day-night Test was held in December 2015 and the 2017-18 Ashes series includes a day-night Test for the first time. "We are proud to see our sport continue to develop and break new ground," said England Cricket Board director of women's cricket Clare Connor. "We will ensure that the England women's team is fully prepared for the unparalleled challenge of an Ashes series down under, with the sole intention of bringing the trophy back home." Teams earn four points for a win in the Test, with two points for a win in all limited-overs games. 22 Oct 1st ODI, AB Field Brisbane 26 Oct 2nd ODI, Coffs Harbour International Stadium 29 Oct 3rd ODI, Coffs Harbour International Stadium 9-12 Nov Day-night Test, North Sydney Oval 17 Nov 1st T20, North Sydney Oval 19 Nov 2nd T20, Manuka Oval, Canberra 21 Nov 3rd T20, Manuka Oval

There's been a further setback to ministers' plans to offer all pre-school children in England an extra 15 hours of childcare a week. [NEXT_CONCEPT] England and Australia will meet in the first women's day-night Test during the 2017 Women's Ashes series.

Umar Khalid has been suspended for one semester and Anirban Bhattacharya has been barred from campus for five years. Both students, and student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who was also charged with sedition, have also been fined. The three students were involved in a protest, on 9 February, over the hanging of a Kashmiri man, Afzal Guru. Afzal Guru was convicted of a 2001 plot to attack India's parliament, charges he always denied. The attack, in which 14 people died, was carried out by Kashmiri militants. His hanging in 2013 sparked protests in Kashmir, and he was seen as a martyr and a symbol of perceived injustice. On 9 February, students at JNU held a demonstration to mark his execution. There were allegations that anti-India slogans were chanted at the protest. Mr Kumar was arrested, while Mr Khalid and Mr Bhattacharya went missing but later handed themselves over to the police. All three were accused of sedition. The arrests of the students led to protests and clashes across India. Critics condemned the charges as an assault on freedom of expression, but government ministers refused to back down, vowing to punish what they described as "anti-national elements". In addition to being suspended from classes, Mr Khalid and Mr Bhattacharya have been fined 20,000 rupees ($299; £206) each. Mr Kumar has been fined 10,000 rupees. Reports say that Mr Khalid and Mr Bhattacharya have been blamed for "triggering communal violence" and "disrupting" harmony on the campus. Mr Kumar was found guilty of indiscipline and misconduct. Mr Bhattacharya said the punishment was "unacceptable", and described it as a "fascist witch-hunt of student activists by the administration". But those years have been tough going for Katherine Garrett-Cox at Alliance Trust, as she's spent much of that time under siege by activist shareholders. Her departure looked all but inevitable. She was forced to concede ground and board places to Elliott Partners hedge fund. She then lost her seat on the board, her business and investment strategies were dumped, and her ally and chairwoman Karin Forseke was ousted. With all that, the nickname she carries without evident relish, Katherine the Great, wasn't looking as apt as once it did. Lord Robert Smith of Kelvin moved in to the chair only a few weeks ago. Alliance Trust insiders said he had until July to see whether the Dundee asset manager could meet expectations of returns and efficiency, or hand over its funds to a bigger player. The new chairman was described as 'agnostic' on that question and told colleagues that he was not attracted to the job if it merely involved wielding the hatchet on the chief executive. Lord Smith has previous. Made famous for his chairing roles of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the cross-party devolution commission that bore his name, he first hit the headlines as the man who infamously ousted "superwoman" Nicola Horlick from her City of London high flyer post. That was 19 years ago. In exiting, Garrett-Cox has stressed how she has served shareholders with a view to the long-term, and reflecting the Alliance Trust heritage across generations of investors. The implication is that others might have rather more short-term horizons. Elliott Partners has a habit of getting in, getting ruthless and getting out fast. For those from the Garrett-Cox regime who remain at the Dundee headquarters, it's not clear who could lead the fight to retain its asset management role. That July deadline for the test of her strategy may have just been made redundant. Aberdeen Asset Management is one of those waiting for opportunity to beckon for a big new asset management mandate from Dundee.

Two Indian students accused of sedition for helping organise a protest at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University have been suspended. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Eight years as chief executive of a listed company isn't a bad run, particularly when the pay and bonus last year hit £1.4m.

Media playback is unsupported on your device 15 July 2015 Last updated at 12:03 BST Witnesses say the seven-foot male shark got stuck as the tide went out. Members of the public kept the shark alive and wet by splashing it with buckets of water until officials arrived. The harbour master then attached a line to his rear caudal fin and pulled it back into open waters to release it safely back into the sea. Footage courtesy Mike Bartel But as what may be the world's smallest electorate gathers to replace the late Lord Avebury as an elected hereditary Liberal Democrat peer, a clash of Liberal dynasties looms. Three current Lib Dem hereditaries are entitled to vote: Lord Addington, the descendent of a Conservative MP from the 1880s; the Earl of Glasgow, the descendent of one of the Scottish Commissioners who negotiated the 1703 Union of the kingdoms of Scotland and England; and the Earl of Oxford and Asquith, who is directly descended from the Liberal Prime Minister H H Asquith. Family links may count for a lot here; I understand the main contenders for those three votes are John Francis Russell, 7th Earl Russell, the son of Lords icon Conrad Russell, grandson of Bertrand Russell and great-great-grandson of Lord John Russell, a Liberal hero who was Prime Minister from 1864 to 1865, and moved the Great Reform Act in 1832. The current Earl has been a Lib Dem councillor in Lewisham and ran for the London Assembly. Or there's Viscount Thurso - John Thurso - who was defeated in his Caithness and Sutherland seat last May, in the SNP landslide; he's a descendent of the wartime Liberal leader, Archie Sinclair, who served in Churchill's wartime coalition. And he also sat in the Lords as a hereditary peer, until Labour's exclusion of the hereditaries allowed him to seek a Commons seat. He's now looking to emulate Lord Hailsham, who left the Lords to become an MP, and then went back later on, and the rumour is that his second coming to their Lordships' House is highly likely. We'll know when the result is declared on 19 April; the count should not take very long.

A great white shark has been rescued after it was stranded on a beach at Chatham, Massachusetts in the US. [NEXT_CONCEPT] I suppose that, pretty much by definition, a by-election to replace an elected hereditary peer in the House of Lords is a dynastic affair….

But, because of current EU rules, it's unlikely that it will be successful. Back in 2000 the VAT on tampons and sanitary towels was dropped from 17.5% to 5% after a campaign by Labour MP Dawn Primarolo. However, standardised EU taxes mean that the rate cannot drop below 5% - and it's not just sanitary products that are affected. Here's a list of the other items that people may consider important to their lives, which have VAT of 5%. Why the 'tampon tax' is here to stay - for a while at least People over 60 pay 5% on items such as grab rails, stair lifts and walk-in baths, so long as they are bought and installed in a private home. If all those criteria aren't met, then full VAT of 20% is paid. Nicotine patches, gum or inhalators to help you quit smoking all attract the 5% tax if you buy them over the counter. VAT isn't charged on those items if they are prescribed by a doctor. Some sanitary products are specifically designed for women have just given birth - like tampons, these have a 5% rate. If the item you buy has a dual-use to help with both incontinence and menstruation, then it is exempt from VAT, subject to certain restrictions. This is also true for pads which are just for incontinence. According to HMRC, the 5% rate applies to children's car seats, booster chairs and booster cushions. It is also charged on carry cots with restraint straps but prams and pushchairs attract a standard rate. Along with other energy-saving materials such as wind turbines and insulation, if you install solar panels in your home then you will pay a reduced VAT of 5%. This is also the case for boilers and radiators. It's not just energy equipment that gets VAT of 5%. You also pay that rate for any gas or electricity that is supplied to your home. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube The regulator will examine directory enquiries numbers, which begin with 118, after some providers were found to be charging up to £10.50 a call. It will also look at 070 numbers, which allow users to be contacted on any phone at any location, and can cost up to £3.40 a minute. The telecoms regulator said prices should be "transparent and fair". Ofcom, which raised its concerns last week, said there were now more than 400 directory enquiry services offering a variety of options and prices, with call costs ranging from 35p per call to £10.50. However, there is no stipulated cap on such charges, meaning operators are free to charge up to a maximum of £23.97 for calls of less than a minute. "Ofcom has been monitoring the costs of the more expensive services, which have risen significantly in recent months as fewer people use these services," it said. Citizens Advice has said the current system leaves elderly people particularly vulnerable to high call charges. Last week, it said it knew of one client who had received a £150 bill for calling a 118 number. Meanwhile Ofcom said it was aware of one consumer who called directory enquiries in 2009, and ended up with a bill for £350. When directory enquiries was deregulated in 2003, calls to BT's 192 service cost just 40p. In a previous inquiry the watchdog decided against imposing a stipulated price cap on charges, but it could now review that decision. Ofcom also plans to examine 070 numbers, which enable calls to be diverted from one phone number to another, so that the person being called can keep their own number private, and remain contactable wherever they go. Small businesses and sole traders often use them to make it easier to manage calls. However, Ofcom said it was concerned they could be confused with mobile phone numbers, which also start '07'. "Ofcom is concerned about evidence of scams designed to make consumers believe they are calling a mobile number," it said. "When people call the 070 number back, they are actually dialling a service costing up to £3.40 a minute." The regulator said it expected to publish detailed proposals following its review later this year.

A petition calling for an end to a 5% tax on sanitary products has gathered more than 125,000 signatures. [NEXT_CONCEPT] An investigation into the soaring costs of certain telephone service numbers has been launched by Ofcom.

The device, the only one if its kind in the UK, is the centrepiece of a new centre for designer quantum materials. It will help create the next generation of electronic devices, one layer of atoms at a time. There is no doubt that it looks fantastic. It fills an entire laboratory. Its stainless steel tubes gleam. Its lights flash. Its valves open and close and its computer monitors flicker. Despite appearances it is science fact, not science fiction. But what is it exactly? The answer trips off Dr Peter Wahl's tongue. "This is a reactive oxide molecular beam epitaxy system," he says. Happily for the rest of us he can also explain what that means. "It is an instrument which allows us to build materials a single atomic layer at a time. "So we can combine different materials, stacking them on top of each other, and basically changing the material with each individual layer." To make these custom-engineered "supermaterials" the system uses high vacuums and temperatures. Talk of the quantum world may bring to mind ideas like Schrodinger's Cat, which was supposedly alive and dead at the same time. Creating quantum materials is a less intimidating concept. It means manipulating things at their most basic level - in this case, atom by atom. Dr Wahl, a reader in the school of physics and astronomy, makes it sound even less intimidating by invoking children's plastic bricks. It is, he says, like playing Lego with atoms: putting two seemingly boring materials together as extremely thin films to make new stuff that's very interesting indeed. "One relatively large field of potential applications for these materials is in what's called spintronics, where the spin of the electron suddenly becomes important and one can exploit it for new device functionalities." Other potential applications include super-efficient energy distribution and high performance sensors. It could lead to electronic devices that are a single atom thick. Building exotic, designer, quantum materials does not come cheap. The new centre represents an investment of £2m by the university, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA). That's on top of previous investments of more than £4m by SUPA, the Scottish Funding Council and the university. In return, St Andrews has created a facility that is unique in these islands to create materials that have never been seen before. Adilson Tavares Varela, known as Cabral, told Hull Crown Court he had consensual sex with the 22-year-old woman at his flat in Gateshead. The ex-Sunderland midfielder denied being "persistent, forceful and aggressive" and said he stopped having sex with her when she asked him to. He denies two counts of rape. The woman has told the jury Varela pinned her down on his bed and raped her after they met during a night out in Newcastle. But the footballer said they kissed and danced together before going back to his home with friends, including retired French international Anthony Reveillere. He said the woman asked him to go into the bedroom. When asked about her behaviour, Varela said: "It was normal. It was a normal girl who wanted to have sex with me. "It seemed to me she was used to doing this as she was in no way ashamed." He told the court he removed all of his clothes except for his socks and that he and the woman had sex in two positions. Speaking through an interpreter, Cape Verde-born Varela told the jury the woman asked him to stop after around 15 minutes because she was tired. He said he stopped and swore at her in French because he felt "frustrated". Varela, who has a fiancee and a three-year-old son who live in Switzerland, told the court he got dressed and returned to the others in the living room, where he sent a message to a woman he described as a "sex buddy". He said the complainant later left his flat with the others and was upset because she thought her mother would be angry with her. Varela now plays for Swiss team FC Zurich. The trial continues.

Physicists at the University of St Andrews have begun using a unique machine to create materials that are completely unknown in nature. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A former Premier League footballer accused of raping a woman he met in a nightclub has told a court she wanted to have sex with him.

Speaking from the White House, he said it would not have served the "national interests" of the US. Its construction has been hotly disputed for seven years, with environmentalists saying it would do irreparable damage. But the president said the pipeline had taken on an "overinflated role" in the climate change debate. The proposed pipeline would have run 1,179-miles (1,897km) taking 800,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta, Canada, to Steele City, Nebraska. But Mr Obama said it would not have: "The pipeline would not make a meaningful long-term contribution to our economy," he said. Republican presidential candidates condemned the news, with Jeb Bush calling it an attack on the US economy. In February, the Republican-led Congress voted to begin construction immediately, but Mr Obama vetoed the bill to await environmental reports. It took more than seven years, but Barack Obama has finally got to "no". Maybe it was the election of a Liberal government in Canada that is more suspicious of big energy projects. Maybe it was the sharp decline in oil prices over the past year. Or maybe it was Friday's announcement that the US unemployment rate has dropped to 5%, the lowest of Mr Obama's presidency. Whatever the explanation, the president decided now was the time to finally strike the death blow to the controversial pipeline. It's a move that will be heralded by environmentalists, condemned by Republicans on the presidential campaign trail and - almost certainly - largely overlooked by an American public that was never really engaged on the issue. The president's decision puts Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton in a comfortable spot. She had recently come out against the pipeline, and Mr Obama's move takes the issue off the table - at least for now. The decision comes as world leaders plan to meet in Paris at the end of the month to finalise a major global climate agreement. The agreement, which could be reached at the meeting known as the UN Climate Change Conference or COP 21, would be a major part of the president's legacy. Video: Why does Paris climate change conference matter? While the project is dead for now, the pipeline controversy will not end any time soon. Proponents will almost certainly challenge the decision in court and if a Republican is elected president next year, construction could yet be approved. The pipeline also generated controversy outside of Washington, souring relations between the former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the US president. President Obama said he had spoken to newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and they agreed the issue of climate change trumped any differences of opinion over the pipeline. Danielle Stoton, 19, went to The Gatehouse, Doncaster, with her mother Michelle on Saturday to meet a friend. But Miss Stoton was refused service at the bar, despite showing a card explaining her medical condition. Pub owner J D Wetherspoon said: "This was an error and one which we wholeheartedly apologise for." Updates on this story and more from around South Yorkshire Miss Stoton suffered brain injuries, leaving her with slurred speech, in a hit-and-run in Armthorpe, Doncaster, in August 2014. Her mother said it had been a "huge step" in Danielle's rehabilitation to go into a pub and order drinks and she had been apprehensive before the visit. She admitted Danielle had sworn at bar staff after being refused service, but was still asked to leave after showing the pub's manager a card detailing the effects of her injuries. "The front lobe damage to Danielle does cause short temper", she said, but added the experience had "been a real setback", for her daughter. Mrs Stoton said the effects of her daughter's injuries were still "really raw after bringing Danielle up for 18 years to be independent". Wetherspoon's spokesman Eddie Gershon said Miss Stoton should have been served by a staff member at the pub on Priory Walk. "We will be retraining our staff in relation to this incident and will carry out a full investigation", he added. The driver who hit Danielle was sentenced to eight months in prison and a two-year driving ban after pleading guilty in May.

US President Barack Obama has announced he is rejecting an application to build the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A pub chain has apologised after a woman who suffered brain injuries in a hit-and-run was refused service when staff mistakenly thought she was drunk.

Nathan Clarke, 24, of Hamilton Drive, Lincoln, had admitted having a bladed article and reckless arson on 25 May. Lincoln Crown Court heard he had vandalised his cell and threatened to harm himself before starting the fire using bedding and clothes. Three prison officers had to be treated for the effects of breathing in smoke following the blaze. Read more about this and other stories from across Lincolnshire Jon Straw, prosecuting, said Clarke's actions came after he was refused his request for an afternoon phone call. He said the prisoner had become "petulant and abusive" and had threatened to cut himself with a toothbrush which had two razor blades melted into it, before starting the fire. "One of the officers said it was the worst cell fire he had ever seen," Mr Straw added. David Eager, mitigating, said Clarke had never intended to harm anyone else and had seen a psychiatrist who had concluded he was not dangerous. Clarke, he said, had a history of taking so-called legal highs and harming himself. Passing sentence, Judge Michael Heath told Clarke he had caused serious disruption to the prison and that the danger to other inmates was obvious. Ms Mayawati, an icon to millions of low-caste Dalits, rules over India's most populous state which is also one of the poorest in the country. But the cables on whistleblower site Wikileaks described her as "obsessed with becoming Prime Minister". Ms Mayawati or her office is yet to respond to the leaked cables. An official in the state government told the BBC the government was unlikely to respond. Cables, dated 23 October 2008 and marked confidential, are among the latest set of documents released by Wikileaks in recent days. "When she needed new sandals, her private jet flew empty to Mumbai to retrieve her preferred brand," the cables say. They add that the chief minister is paranoid about her security and "fears assassination" and employs "food tasters" to guard against poisoning. She maintains a "vice-like grip on all levels of power" and all decisions must run through her or a small group of advisors, the releases say. Ms Mayawati has sparked controversy for building statues of herself and other Dalit icons, but she denies encouraging a personality cult. In the last few years, huge concrete parks have been built in the state capital, Lucknow, and Noida, a Delhi suburb, with scores of massive stone statues of Ms Mayawati dotting the landscape. Statues of political leaders are generally put up posthumously, but Ms Mayawati says that belief is outdated. Critics accuse her of self-glorification. She accuses them of conspiring against her.

An inmate who started a fire in his cell at Lincoln prison has been sentenced to four years. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The chief minister of India's Uttar Pradesh state sent an empty private jet to get a pair of sandals from Mumbai, leaked US diplomatic cables say.

Gray, who succeeds Gerard Lyttle in the Solitude hotseat, took Warrenpoint from junior football to the Premiership during a decade in charge. He said: "Cliftonville fans like good, attractive and entertaining football and I can certainly promise them that's what we'll be working on from day one." Gray joins the north Belfast side on a rolling contract. His backroom team will include Harry Fay and Stephen Small. Cliftonville's search for a new manager began when Lyttle left last month to become Sligo Rovers boss. Tommy Breslin, who stepped down as Reds manager in 2015, returned to the club in a temporary role for the last league game and the Europa League play-offs. Cliftonville finished fifth in the Premiership and their season ended with a 5-3 home defeat by Glenavon in Tuesday's play-off semi-final. Gray operated in the dual role of manager and Director of Football at Warrenpoint until Matthew Tipton took over as boss last November. The Co Down club was relegated in 2016 but has made an immediate return to the Premiership by winning the Championship title last month. "I didn't really expect to be back in management quite so quickly because I'd always have been quite pernickety and fussy about what club was right for me and ticked all the boxes," added Gray. Cliftonville does that, no question about it. There would have been very few other jobs that I'd have been interested in so, when the opportunity arose, it's not something I had to think about. "I like my teams to play attractive football at a high tempo and that's what I'll be setting us up to do." During the campaign, Mr Trump called for greater protection for US jobs and said he would tear up the Trans-Pacific Partnership - the biggest multinational trade deal in years. But after a two-day summit in Peru, leaders defended the benefits of open markets. China also claimed growing support for a wider 21-nation trade deal it backs. In a communiqué at the end of the summit the Apec leaders said: "We reaffirm our commitment to keep our markets open and to fight against all forms of protectionism." It also referred to the "rising scepticism over trade", after the uneven recovery since the financial crisis had caused more people to question whether globalisation worked for enough people. But the leaders said that the "the benefits of trade and open markets need to be communicated to the wider public more effectively, emphasising how trade promotes innovation, employment and higher living standards". What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership? The TPP pact involves 12 countries: the US, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Peru. The pact aims to deepen economic ties between these nations, slashing tariffs and fostering trade to boost growth. But Donald Trump said the proposal was a "terrible deal" that would send American jobs to countries with cheaper labour. The agreement must by ratified in the US Congress, which remains in the hands of Mr Trump's Republican party - meaning it's expected to fail. Hillary Clinton, Mr Trump's election rival, had also opposed it. But after the Apec meeting, US President Barack Obama reiterated his support for the pact, saying not going ahead would undermine the US position across Asia Pacific. He warned he was already hearing calls for a less ambitious trade agreement that would exclude US workers and businesses. "When it comes to trade, I believe the answer is not to pull back," he said. "The answer is to do trade right, making sure it has strong labour standards, strong environmental standards, that it addresses ways in which workers and ordinary people can benefit rather than be harmed by global trade.'' But while some leaders think the TPP could go ahead without the US, others say it would be impossible without a complete renegotiation. Over the weekend, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key suggested there could be minor changes to the agreement that would give Mr Trump enough wiggle room to support it, without losing face. Meanwhile Peru's president Pedro Pablo said the TPP should not be written off, despite Mr Trump's win. China - which is not part of the TPP - has set out an alternative vision for regional trade. China's proposal, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), does not include the Americas. After the Apec meeting, Beijing said several nations including Peru and Chile had expressed interest in joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Former Warrenpoint Town boss Barry Gray has been named as the new manager of Irish Premiership club Cliftonville. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Asia-Pacific leaders have said they will pursue free trade deals despite Donald Trump's US election victory.

Mr Perry turned himself into police on Tuesday, vowing to fight the case with "every fibre of my being". If tried and found guilty, he could face up to 99 years in prison. The governor, a potential Republican presidential hopeful, has dismissed the prosecution as a political ploy. Mr Perry filed his plea with the court on Tuesday shortly after he was fingerprinted and had his mug shot taken. He was indicted by a grand jury panel of Texas residents on Friday after months of investigation into his motivation for cutting funds amounting to $7.5m (£4.5m) to a state anti-corruption unit run by Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. In June 2013, Mr Perry threatened to withhold funding for the Public Integrity Unit of the Travis County District Attorney's Office unless Ms Lehmberg, a Democrat, resigned over widely publicised drink-driving charges. Ms Lehmberg refused to resign and several days later Mr Perry carried out the veto, partially defunding her office. The indictment charges that Mr Perry "intentionally or knowingly misused government property... with intent to harm another" and charged him with abuse of office and coercion of a public servant. Abuse of office can carry punishments of between five to 99 years in prison, while coercion of a public servant carries sentences ranging from two to 10 years. On Tuesday evening dozens of supporters, reporters and a handful of protesters greeted Mr Perry as he arrived at a courthouse in Austin, some holding signs declaring "Stop Democrat Games", "Rick is Right" and "Keep Calm and Veto On". "I'm going to fight this injustice with every fibre of my being," Mr Perry said at a podium bearing the seal of his office before walking inside. "And we will prevail." He returned quickly, telling the crowd he was confident he would be found innocent. "We don't resolve political disputes or policy differences by indictments," he said before documenting a trip to get ice cream on Twitter. "We don't criminalise policy disagreements." Mr Perry, 63, is the longest-serving governor in the state's history and the first governor of Texas to be indicted on criminal charges in nearly a century. He ran unsuccessfully for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination and had been seen as positioning himself for another run in 2016. The council had hoped to secure a partnership to fund the six-camera service with a local university. But councillors have been told the project will not go ahead. Meanwhile Dyfed-Powys' Police and Crime Commissioner has launched a review of CCTV in the region. Christopher Salmon has said the police would be prepared to help fund cameras surveillance systems in Ceredigion, Powys, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire if the findings are favourable. Earlier this year Ceredigion council decided to stop funding the system in the county to save £150,000. It was part of its aim to plug a budget deficit of £9.6m during the next financial year. The local authority then asked the five community councils with cameras if they were willing foot the CCTV bill from 1 April. Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Aberaeron and New Quay councils decided not to pay for CCTV coverage. But Lampeter councillors started discussions on future CCTV provision with University of Wales Trinity St David, which has a campus in Lampeter. The town council has now abandoned any hope of running the service after those talks came to nothing. Mayor, Dorothy Williams, said: "The university has decided not to work with us on this project so we have decided not to manage the CCTV cameras in Lampeter because we can't afford it." But CCTV coverage in the county could be resurrected in the future after Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner, Christopher Salmon's decision to review the service. He said: "Although the police do not fund CCTV right now, I am committed to providing a solution."

Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry has pleaded not guilty to charges he abused his power in an attempt to pressure a Democratic political adversary to resign. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Ceredigion will have no CCTV provision to tackle crime this year after Lampeter council abandoned a plan to continue the service in the town.

The incident happened in the Milltimber Brae area of the ongoing construction at about 11:00. Emergency crews were called out following reports that the man had become trapped. The Scottish Water contractor's injuries were believed to be serious but not life-threatening. An investigation will be carried out. A Scottish Water spokesman said: "A contractor working for Scottish Water has been taken to hospital after being involved in an incident at a site near the A93 in Deeside. "A full investigation into the cause of the accident has been launched. "Scottish Water takes health and safety very seriously and it is a top priority on all of our sites and we will work with our contractor and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to find out the cause of this accident. "Our main concern at the moment is the wellbeing of the injured man." Transport Scotland confirmed a "full investigation" had been launched. In his first news conference since July, Mr Trump said he would submit a plan to repeal and replace the 2010 law "essentially simultaneously". Senate Republicans have started a process to repeal parts of the law, but have yet to reach a replacement plan. There seems little consensus on what would replace Obamacare. Mr Trump's remarks clash with congressional Republicans' plan to repeal the law, but delay the process to pass legislation on a substitute for up to three years. The president-elect said he would like to see President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, also known as Obamacare, repealed and replaced "probably the same day, could be the same hour". He insisted his administration would have a plan in place as soon as Representative Tom Price, his nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, is confirmed. Mr Price's hearings are due to begin next week. Mr Trump did not offer any details on his vision to replace the healthcare law, but argued it was "imploding" and Republicans would do "a tremendous service" for Democrats by replacing it. He added his plan would be "far less expensive and far better". Republicans have already taken steps to dismantle Obamacare through a budget reconciliation bill. The Republican-led Senate has been working into the night on the bill, with a vote expected early on Thursday to set the process in motion. If the budget resolution is passed, a committee would write repeal legislation that could come to a vote next month. "We must act quickly to bring relief to the American people," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. However, Republicans have only a slender majority in the chamber and increasing numbers of their senators are voicing concerns about overturning the law without a replacement to show voters. The US Chamber of Commerce, which is the country's largest business lobby group, warned on Wednesday it could be a mistake to quickly repeal Obamacare without developing a replacement insurance plan. A day earlier, the Health and Human Services Department said more than 11.5 million Americans had signed up for plans in this open-enrollment period, the highest such figure in the bill's history.

A worker on the new Aberdeen bypass has suffered what are believed to be serious injuries in an accident. [NEXT_CONCEPT] President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as soon as his health secretary pick is confirmed.

Addressing supporters at a community centre in Fort Dodge, the New York billionaire gave a 95-minute speech deriding his critics, punctuated with occasional obscenities. He reserved his harshest words for the retired neurosurgeon who is currently running even with him in many opinion polls - and the Iowans for giving him huge support in the polls. He said Mr Carson's admission of childhood anger issues revealed an incurable "pathological disease" and compared him to a child molester. "If you're a child molester, there's no cure," he said. "They can't stop you. Pathological? There's no cure." He mocked Mr Carson's religious conversion and dismissed the much-publicised story that as a teenager his attempt to stab a relative in the stomach was foiled by a large belt buckle. He displayed his own belt and challenged any members of the audience who had a knife to "try it" on him. "How stupid are the people of Iowa?" he asked. "How stupid are the people of the country to believe this crap?" Armstrong Williams, Mr Carson's business manager, told CNN that Mr Carson's response to the attacks was to "pray for him". "He feels sorry for him because he really likes Mr Trump," he said. "To see him just imploding before our very eyes - it's just sad to watch," More fireworks may be in store on Friday, however, as Mr Trump and Mr Carson are scheduled to appear back-to-back late in the day here in Orlando at the Sunshine Summit - a presidential forum hosted by the Florida Republican Party. It could be a dramatic day from start to finish, in fact, as Florida Senator Marco Rubio leads off the event and is immediately followed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz. The two candidates traded barbs on Thursday over their record on immigration, with Mr Cruz accusing Mr Rubio of siding with Democrats in the Senate to support amnesty for undocumented workers. With the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses less than 100 days away, and Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays looming, the Republican presidential contest may be approaching a boiling point. From here on out, the attacks will grow more pointed and, for some, more desperate. Candidates have been on the campaign trail for months now, nerves are fraying and time is growing short. The benchmark Nikkei 225 ended 3.1% lower at 16,174 - higher than its lowpoint for the trading session, but still the lowest close since 12 April. Shares of Japanese carmaker Toyota closed down 3.8%, Nissan Motor dropped 5% and Honda Motor shed 4%. The yen shot up after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) decided not to launch fresh economic stimulus last week. On Friday the yen was at about 108 yen against the dollar. It strengthened a little on Monday to around 106.31 yen. In South Korea the Kospi ended Monday's session lower, by 0.8% at 1,978.15 points. And that is also a three-week low. In Australia, the benchmark S&P ASX 200 finished lower by 0.18% at 5,243 points. Shares in Australia's third largest lender, Westpac, closed down 3.54% on the Sydney stock market, after having lost as much as 5.7% earlier in the session. It reported a 3% rise in profits for the six months to March. Earnings rose to A$3.9bn ($2.96bn; £2.02bn), however industry analysts were expecting the figure to come in just above A$4bn. Westpac has attributed the shortfall to higher debt charges. Also in Australia, the country's Treasurer Scott Morrison will deliver the federal budget for 2016-2017 on Tuesday evening. According to local media, there will be tax cuts for business in the budget. But ahead of the budget, the country's central bank - The Reserve Bank of Australia - will hold its annual meeting on interest rates. The key lending rate in Australia is at a record low of 2%. Figures from the weekend showed that there could be some stability in China, the world's second biggest economy. The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) on Sunday showed a reading of 50.1 for April, compared to 50.2 in March. A figure above 50 indicates an expansion. The PMI tracks activities in factories and workshops. Markets in China and Hong Kong are shut on Monday for the Labour Day holiday.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, never one to mince words, launched some of his sharpest attacks on rival Ben Carson on Thursday night in Iowa. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Japanese shares have started the week with sharp falls, as a surge in the yen hurt shares in big exporting firms.

Danielle Marr, 18, was in a science class at Waid Academy in Anstruther, Fife, when her pager sounded in school for the first time. The teenager, who is in her final year, was called out to Anstruther lifeboat station at 10:40 on Wednesday, where she was joined by fellow volunteers. They set off to help a 28ft vessel that had suffered mechanical failure. Another new volunteer, mother-of-two Louise McNicoll, 30, was also involved in the rescue which happened off the coast of Crail. Danielle said: "I was assisting a junior pupil in a science class when my pager sounded. "It was a strange feeling as it's the first time I have heard the pager go off in school and the teachers and staff were great to allow me to exit so quickly. "The shout itself went exactly to plan as we regularly practise towing the all-weather lifeboat with our D class and vice versa, so it wasn't the first time that myself or Louise have worked on this task, but it certainly was a different feeling doing it in a shout scenario." The teenager has permission to leave class for rescues. She is following in the footsteps of her older brother Anthony, who has volunteered at the station since Danielle was six. The two women have volunteered at the lifeboat station for several months. During the rescue, the volunteers secured a towing line to the boat under the supervision of the coxswain and senior crew before the short journey back to Anstruther harbour. Ms McNicoll said: "I was getting my son ready for nursery when my pager sounded. "I had the added extra of dropping my son at my mum's house on the way to the station. "It was great to see the training we practise put into action and having my first shout alongside Danielle was an added bonus. "The senior crew assisted us in what we had to do and all in all it was a job well done." Mendes told a court hearing held behind closed doors in Madrid that he never advised his clients on tax matters, his company Gestifute said in a statement. The agent, who could be put under official investigation in the case, gave evidence at the hearing into alleged tax evasion by Monaco striker Radamel Falcao, one of his clients. Falcao, like Mendes, denies wrongdoing. The former Chelsea and Manchester United striker is accused of failing to declare 5.3m euros (£4.69m) of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while he played for Atletico Madrid. Falcao, 31, is alleged to have used a network of shell companies in the British Virgin Islands, Republic of Ireland, Colombia and Panama to avoid taxes on image rights income. The Colombia international's case is being heard as the Spanish authorities place the tax affairs of footballers under increasing scrutiny, with a number of Mendes' clients being investigated, including Real Madrid team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Fabio Coentrao, who have also denied committing any offences. Judge Monica Gomez Ferrer, who is hearing the evidence relating to Falcao, is also overseeing the case of 32-year-old Portugal captain Ronaldo, and is scheduled to question him on 31 July over allegations he illegally evaded 14.7m euros (£13m) in taxes. Coentrao, the 29-year-old Portugal international, is accused of having hidden close to 1.3m euros (£1.15m) from the tax authorities. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, another client of 51-year-old Mendes, has been accused of failing to pay millions of euros in taxes during his time in charge of Real Madrid. However, Gestifute has said Mourinho, 54, had resolved the situation with the tax authorities. Angel di Maria, the 29-year-old Paris St-Germain winger who is represented by Mendes, agreed to pay 2m euros (£1.76m) to settle a tax case last week. Earlier this month, Gestifute made a statement denying that Mendes has done anything wrong. It read: "Neither Jorge Mendes nor the company he manages, Gestifute, participate in or offer any service linked, directly or indirectly, to financial, fiscal or legal advice to their clients."

A teenage RNLI volunteer had to leave school to help a broken-down boat on her first emergency callout. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Football agent Jorge Mendes has denied helping footballers evade tax illegally by creating shell companies.

The ship was torpedoed off the coast of the Republic of Ireland by a German U-boat in 1915, killing 1,198 people. It was carrying more than 2,000 passengers from New York to Liverpool. A Manx fishing boat, the Wanderer, was in the area at the time and rescued about 150 people. The seven fishermen were all given bravery medals. Isle of Man Post Office said: "The island has a proud tradition as a seafaring nation - to celebrate this the Post Office has produced a set of four stamps that capture the beautiful oil and watercolour paintings of John Halsall". Other ships featured include the Master Frank RY95, HMS Ramsey and Ben my Chree III. The latter took part in operations at Gallipoli in 1915 while the HMS Ramsey sank in 1915 while serving with the Royal Navy. A spokesman said: "The Master Frank RY95 is the Isle of Man's longest-surviving half-decker still afloat and was built in 1893 or 1895". The miniature cover sheet is being launched on 1 May. A 1:1 scale model was released from an altitude of 3km by a helicopter, and then descended to a splashdown in the Mediterranean on a parachute. The IXV is a project of the European Space Agency that aims to develop an autonomous atmospheric re-entry system. A flight model will be launched on a Vega rocket next year and will have to descend from an altitude of 420km. The ultimate goal is to develop a vehicle not dissimilar to the American mini spy shuttle called the X-37B, which operates robotically in orbit for a period of time before making an automated return to a runway. Europe's version will be developed under the name of Pride. "X-37B is a big vehicle launched on an Atlas rocket, while Pride will be launched on a smaller rocket. It should be a much cheaper mission," explained Roberto Provera from Thales Alenia Space (Tas), the French-Italian company that will lead the project industrially. "The idea of the two vehicles is very similar, but the size and the costs of the projects are very different," he told reporters here at the Paris Air Show. IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle) is the initial step towards Pride. This car-sized, two-tonne spacecraft will launch from French Guiana in South America in August 2014. It will fly an arc reaching 420km above the Earth before coming down to a splashdown zone in the Pacific. IXV is a lifting body; it has far more manoeuvrability than a standard cone-shaped, re-entry capsule. It has flaps and thrusters to control its descent trajectory. A ceramic heatshield on its underside will prevent the vehicle from burning up. Its suite of sensors should give European engineers new insights into how objects fall back through the atmosphere and provide them with the data they need to design the next generation of space vehicles. "We are one year away from launch and Wednesday's drop test at the Salto di Quirra Inter-force Test Range in Sardinia was important to validate this part of the chain," said Mr Provera. The flight model should be delivered to the European Space Agency (Esa) in May of next year. Esa member states approved Pride (Programme for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator in Europe) at their recent ministerial council in Naples, and the agency has just sent Thales Alenia Space a request for quotation (RFQ). The company will have to detail its initial design thoughts and the likely cost for the project, which has an envelope of about 400m euros. The Pride vehicle will have to be compatible with the small Vega rocket, also. This means Pride must stay within 5m in length and have a maximum mass no greater than about 1,900kg. "Pride represents the next step after IXV. You see the shape - it has wings. The mission envisages several orbits, not just an arc over the globe. And it will land on an airstrip," said Mr Provera. Pride would fly no earlier than 2018. [email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

The Isle of Man Post Office has launched a special edition of stamps to mark the link between the island and the saving of RMS Lusitania passengers. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A successful "drop test" has been conducted on Europe's experimental re-entry vehicle, the IXV.

On the day when Jeremy Corbyn won the leadership for the first time, Len McCluskey was the first person to wrestle the new leader into an awkward bear hug on the small stage in the Westminster pub where his team celebrated his victory. When Mr Corbyn has hit trouble, Mr McCluskey - the bruisers' bruiser - has been on hand to buttress Mr Corbyn's support, or even to warn off his critics. But now, enters the contender who will take the Liverpudlian on. Gerard Coyne, the West Midlands secretary of Unite, will announce later on Tuesday that he will fight his boss for the chance of capturing the crown. Mr Coyne has worked for the union for more than 20 years, having joined as a shop worker at Sainsbury's. One of his supporters said he felt the union must return to putting its members' interests ahead of party politics. Mr Coyne is understood to be concerned about Mr Corbyn's anti-Trident stance, given that thousands of Unite members work in the defence industry, as well as worried about workers in the auto industry after reports suggested that the Labour leader was considering advocating a ban on petrol cars. But it won't just be a fight between the two men. Many of Mr Corbyn's supporters will see the challenge as another attempt to undermine the Labour leader. On the other side, many Labour MPs will see the chance of shifting Mr McCluskey as a way of changing the party's troubled dynamics. It will ultimately be up to more than a million Unite members to have their say in the spring. But far from being an obscure exercise in ticking boxes on a ballot, it will be the next skirmish, a proxy for the battle over Labour's future. After resuming on 213-6 in their second innings, still trailing Kent by 27 runs, the visitors added seven before Matt Coles removed Ben Cox (39). Darren Stevens (3-31) then cleaned up the tail as Worcestershire were all out for 251, leaving Kent 12 runs to win. Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson easily guided the hosts to victory. Kent move to the top of the Division Two table on 147 points, six ahead of Essex, whose match against Sussex is ongoing, and 13 ahead of Worcestershire, who slip to third. On-loan Kent all-rounder Will Gidman told BBC Radio Kent: "To get those two second-innings wickets with a slightly older ball just as Worcestershire were forming a decent partnership was really pleasing. "I got slightly lucky with the first wicket. The lad George Rhodes was playing really well, but he started batting way out of his crease and, when I bowled him a really full one, he ended up yorking himself. "Then, against Daryl Mitchell, that was one that moved back up the him and hit him full in front. "I'd have loved to have scored a hundred, but batting at number eight. It's the last thing you're really expecting." Worcestershire head coach Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester: "Kent played really well. The fact that we were a little under par was mainly due to the fact that Kent played some really good stuff over the four days. On this performance they're becoming a very good side. "Brett D'Oliveira will come back in but it won't be a case of wholesale changes just because we've lost one match. "Sport is all about winning and losing. I don't know many teams who just keep winning all of the time. "Sometimes these lads deserve another chance to get themselves into some better form. We've played plenty of good cricket already this season to know that we're capable of producing better than this."

Few individuals have been as vital to preserving Jeremy Corbyn's position as Len McCluskey, the leader of the country's biggest union. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Kent kept their hopes of promotion to Division One alive after tying up a 10-wicket win over Worcestershire before lunch on the final day at Canterbury.

That is one of the key findings of the most in-depth research of its kind ever carried out in Northern Ireland. The study - Mobile Devices in Early Learning - was carried out over two years and involved about 650 pupils in five Belfast primary schools and five nursery schools. Schools which took part were in some of the most deprived areas of the city. They were each supplied with sets of iPads for nursery, primary one, primary two and primary three classes. Researchers from Stranmillis University College then assessed how pupils, parents, principals and teachers used them over the course of two years. Among their key findings were that: IPads helped young children to be more motivated and engaged in class, said Dr Colette Gray from Stranmillis, who was one of the study's authors. "It's not a panacea or the holy grail, but is another method to reach children who might otherwise underachieve," she said. "For many children it does seem like a playful learning activity. Children, even if working alone, would talk to each others or talk to the teacher. "There was actually an increase in communication in the classroom, which we didn't initially anticipate." The five primary schools which received ipads and took part in the study were Black Mountain PS, Donegal Road PS, Gaelscoil na Móna, Holy Trinity PS and Elmgrove PS. The primary three teacher at Elmgrove PS, Hannah Maxwell, said that using iPads had helped to engage many of her pupils. "We don't replace pen and paper with the iPad," she said. "It's all about having a balance between using the iPad and using old school methods. "They're using different methods and trying different things to learn. "It does take planning but the benefits are shown at the end of it." The principal of Elmgrove, Jayne Jeffers, said using iPads had improved many pupils' academic performance. "We have found that attainment has increased in a lot of areas because the children are more engaged," she said. "All of the children we have in school now have been born knowing about smartphone technology and mobile technology. "We have a duty as a school to prepare children for their future and that includes digital learning. "We have two nursery units and the children are using iPads there right the way up to P7. "We are situated in inner east Belfast and there would be a lot of deprivation in the local area, but we're trying to give them every advantage we can." The study also found that although some teachers were initially nervous, many had developed their own confidence by using iPads extensively in class. There were concerns, however, that parents needed to know more about the safe use of technology if young children were using one outside school. The total cost of the project, which was funded by Belfast Regeneration Office, was £299,400. Members of the public came across the man in Millburn Road at about 01:20 on Sunday. He is being treated in the city's Raigmore Hospital. Police said they have traced a Ford Fiesta which was the subject of an earlier appeal. They did, however, renew their appeal for anyone who had information about the incident to contact them. The 47-year-old Italian replaces Luciano Spalletti, who resigned at the end of the season and has since been appointed Inter Milan boss. "It was like coming home after many years," said Di Francesco, who helped Roma win Serie A in 2000-01. "There's a desire to achieve something big and build a team that entertains." Di Francesco led Sassuolo to promotion to Serie A in 2013 and steered them to 12th spot in 2016-17. Roma, who have signed Mexico defender Hector Moreno from PSV Eindhoven, finished runners-up last season and will play in the Champions League in 2017-18.

Young children's maths, English and communication skills improve if they use iPads in school on a regular basis. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A 52-year-old man has been found with serious head injuries near the centre of Inverness. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Eusebio di Francesco, who won the Italian title with Roma as a midfielder, has been made head coach of the club on a two-year contract.

Conventional economic theory says if unemployment gets low enough, wages will take off - with inflation following close behind. The general idea is that when labour markets are tight, workers' bargaining power is increased. Therefore employees can demand wages that beat their expectations for inflation. Until recently it was painfully obvious that that wasn't happening. The rate of unemployment kept hitting 40-year lows but wages kept sagging. On Wednesday the wage optimists were given something to cling on to. Unemployment hit 4.4% in the second quarter of the year, the lowest - once again - since the mid-1970s. But, against expectations, pay rises improved, up by 2.1% (excluding bonuses) compared with a consensus prediction of 2%. Maybe the economic theory was right after all - and pay is now ticking up because labour markets are tight. It remains, however, a long way short of what would be required to trigger the sort of wage-price spiral about which central bankers have been hyper-vigilant since the 1970s. That employees are prepared to accept wages that shrink by a tiny bit less than they did the last time these figures came out does not exactly bespeak a dramatic new assertion of workers' bargaining power. With inflation on the official CPI measure at 2.6%, wages are still shrinking in real terms - by 0.5%. And pay rises averaging 2.1% compares to 2.8% as recently as November last year. Not much ammunition there for the hawks on the Bank of England's monetary policy committee who would like to raise interest rates sooner rather than later. But it does look like deeper changes in the labour market are afoot. With the weaker pound, it is in theory less worthwhile than it used to be for workers to come to the UK from elsewhere in the EU to earn pounds, sending them home to convert into Polish zlotys or Bulgarian levs. Is that theoretical prediction coming true? The number of non-UK nationals added to the UK workforce was just 109,000 on the year. In the first quarter it was a much sharper increase - of 207,000. Here too, the economic theory may, eventually, be proved right after all. He said the former deputy governor made a serious but "honest mistake" and that the Bank would learn from the affair. But he also warned against an overly punitive approach to misconduct in the banking industry, saying it could leave "senior managers running scared". Ms Hogg quit earlier in March over a conflict of interest. She had failed to mention, before her appointment, that her brother was a senior executive at Barclays - a lender regulated by the Bank of England. In the speech, Mr Carney said: "A series of scandals ranging from mis-selling to manipulation have undermined trust in banking, the financial system, and, to some degree, markets themselves. He added: "The economic consequences have been enormous. Global banks' misconduct costs have now reached over $320bn (£257m) - capital that could otherwise have supported up to $5tn of lending to households and businesses." He said the financial system needed "stronger deterrents". However, he also urged more focus on creating a better banking culture. This included reducing opportunities for bad behaviour and requiring compensation rules "that align better risk and reward". He also suggested there had been an "excessive reliance" on "punitive" fines of firms who misbehaved. "We have emphasised measures to ensure firms and their employees take responsibility - individually and collectively - for their own conduct," he said. On Ms Hogg's appointment, Mr Carney said he had been clear upfront that there should be consequences for both her and the Bank. However, he called her omission an "honest mistake that was freely and transparently admitted" and "not a firing offence". He said he respected the Treasury Committee's decision to publish a highly critical report on Ms Hogg, as well as her decision to resign. But he said the affair illustrated his wider point about regulation. "We must not let recent events inadvertently tighten perceived standards for the industry because that could have senior managers running scared, drive compliance underground and undermine our collective objectives. "Another risk, flagged by some, is that it will also become harder to find candidates of sufficient calibre willing to take on senior roles."

For months now, economists have been struggling with what they call the "wages puzzle". [NEXT_CONCEPT] Mark Carney has defended the Bank of England's handling of Charlotte Hogg's resignation during a speech on banking ethics.

The Senegal international, 25, has signed a four-year contract. Gueye has made 134 appearances for Ligue 1 side Lille and been capped 18 times by his country. "He's been one of the best young midfielders in France for the last few seasons. A lot of clubs were trying to sign him," said Villa boss Tim Sherwood. "I believe we are signing a player who is hungry to succeed, is entering what should be his best years and is perfectly suited to the Premier League." Last month Villa signed midfielder Scott Sinclair, 26, from Manchester City and defender Micah Richards, also from Manchester City. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. Sarah Rochira wants the Welsh government to ensure "parity of funding" between older and younger students. Funding for further education has fallen by a further 6% this year. But a requirement to focus resources on younger students has halved what is left for lifelong learners, CollegesWales says. Deputy Minister for Skills Julie James told BBC's Sunday Politics programme difficult decisions had to be made but younger people were the future. Ms Rochira said she has "real concerns that in the years to come we will pay a high price for failing to maintain that investment we need in education and opportunities for lifelong learning". "I think we need to see a much wider recognition across all government portfolios of the necessity to keep our older people in the workforce and bring them back into work as well," she added. Ms James said: "We've had some difficult decision to make and I agree that they've been awful decisions but in the end the young people are the future and actually we know that it scars a young person for a long time if they're out of the labour market. "That's not to say that we don't understand the issue about lifelong learning and I'm working with the Older People's Commissioner to work up a piece of research to see what we can still offer for people who find themselves out of the job market in older years." Ms Rochira said she wants to see "parity of funding". "Of course we should focus on young people but we must not leave behind older people and nor can we afford to," she said. Iestyn Davies, chief executive of CollegesWales, said: "Ultimately the Welsh government has got some difficult decisions to make. Our call is on the assembly as a whole, all parties, to renew their commitment to lifelong learning as par of the DNA of Wales as we face some very tough challenges ahead. "Learning and skills can't be a once in a lifetime opportunity. It has to be something in the global economy that we commit to as a nation year in year out for all age groups and all levels of society."

Aston Villa have signed Lille midfielder Idrissa Gueye for an undisclosed fee. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Wales could "pay a high price" for cuts to lifelong learning, the older people's commissioner has said.

The man said Stephen Port, 41, told him he had a lubricant but then injected him with a syringe in August 2015, the Old Bailey heard. A month earlier, Mr Port had twice tried to inject a 35-year-old man with drugs, jurors were told. The chef denies 29 charges, including four of murder as well as rape, sexual assault and drugging. Both men told jurors they had gone to Mr Port's flat in Barking for sex. The 21-year-old said he was in the lounge of the property when Mr Port left and returned holding something he could not fully see. He then felt a "bite" and "physical pain". "I realised it was a syringe. He was injecting something into me without my consent," he told the court. After stating that he did not take drugs, Mr Port then allegedly "injected it a second time immediately after I said that". The man, who cannot be named, said he felt "very dizzy" and that his "brain was not functioning properly". He soon fell unconscious. When he came round 11 hours later, Mr Port was having sex with him in bed, he told the court. He tried to resist but fell asleep again, the jury was told. When he woke again he "couldn't sit up in the bed" but there was further sexual contact when he asked Mr Port "shall we have some fun?" When asked why he did this, he said: "I don't know. I couldn't make any sound judgement at the time." Earlier, a 35-year-old man said Mr Port had tried to insert something "plastic" into him. The defendant had told him it would "feel good in a couple of minutes", but the man, who also cannot be named, said "it didn't feel right," and that he felt a "slight burning" which was "unpleasant". The man told the court the pair met met via dating app Grindr, and Mr Port sent him two photos purporting to be of himself. There were no lights on and this obscured the defendant, the court heard. The man told jurors Mr Port pretended to put the item away but then quickly tried to reinsert it, to which he immediately said "that's it" and got off the bed. When he turned a light on, he said, Mr Port looked "totally different" from the pictures he had seen on the app. After asking who he was, he "quickly ran to the front door in case he (Mr Port) tried to stop me. I was panicking," he told jurors. The trial continues. The bus transported the Wales team around the capital as they returned home from the tournament in France. The Birchgrove Primary School pupils "screamed" when they saw the bus in Cardiff, and were given a tour of the city singing football songs. All 44 pupils rode on the open top. Nicola Carr, whose daughter Minnie was one of the pupils, organised the surprise with another parent. "We managed to ask a person who organised the bus whether it was available," she told BBC Radio Wales' Jason Mohammad programme. "It was absolutely amazing, nobody knew so they were expecting a red double decker. "I just remember hearing screaming." The children sang Don't Take Me Home and Ms Carr said the atmosphere was "buzzing". "We couldn't keep them calm to get them on the bus. They pushed past everyone to get on," she said. "A real good memory because it's something they can keep forever. "We had people waving and cheering, they were doing the Joe Ledley dance." Minnie added: "It was amazing, we were all expecting a red open top bus and then the Wales bus came. Everyone was in shock."

A 21-year-old man has told a court an alleged serial killer drugged and raped him at his east London flat. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A group of children who expected to celebrate leaving primary school on an open top bus were given the surprise of their lives - when it turned out to be the Wales Euro 2016 team's bus.

The number of transactions grew by 12% in the year to the end of June, the highest annual rate since 2008, according to UK Finance. The value of spending also rose, accelerating to 7.2%. Lenders face an upcoming deadline to prove to regulators that they are not lending recklessly. The Bank of England has consistently expressed the need for vigilance over growth in the consumer credit market during "benign" economic conditions, at a time when household income has been relatively stagnant. The latest round-up of statistics show that 77 million more purchases were made on cards in the second quarter of the year than in the first three months of 2017. An extra £110m was spent on cards in the second quarter, compared with the first quarter. Some of that can be explained by the rising cost of living, with the inflation rate having risen over the same period. On an annual basis, growth in the total value of debit card purchases in the year to the end of June was 7.2%, Low-value contactless payments have reduced the amount spent on each typical transaction, but card use has become much more frequent. The total value of credit and charge card purchases was up 6.9% annually by the end of June. There is continuing concern from debt charities about the levels of personal debt and whether this is creating repayment issues ahead. Peter Tutton, head of policy at StepChange debt charity, said: "With our research estimating 3.2 million people are using credit cards to pay for everyday household expenses, the growing stock of credit card debt should focus attention on households in financial difficulties. The growth in borrowing through credit card cash advances is particularly concerning as this can be an expensive form of borrowing and can be a risk indicator of increasing financial difficulties. "The Financial Conduct Authority must ensure credit card lenders are acting responsibly, making robust affordability checks and intervening quickly to help people struggling with credit card or multiple credit card debts." In April, May and June, annual growth in net lending on credit cards - taking spending and repayments into account - was at or above 9%, the UK Finance figures show. The Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) highlighted various concerns during a review of lending in personal loans, credit cards and car finance. It told lenders to prove by September that they had been acting responsibly. One issue it raised was the length of 0% credit card balance transfer offers, which have increased sharply in the last five years. The length of these interest-free deals can extend to 43 months, or three-and-a-half years, with the average at nearly 30 months. Police stopped a Land Rover in Village Way, East Dulwich, which they believed was involved in a burglary. When the officer opened the driver's door the car reversed quickly, taking the officer with him and crashing into other cars behind, the Met said. He was taken to King's College Hospital with a suspected broken leg after the incident at 17:35 BST. An officer at the scene told the BBC "one of the burglars ran over the officer deliberately." A male passenger in the Land Rover was arrested and the driver fled on foot towards the train tracks at North Dulwich Station and remains at large. Southern Railway said services were briefly brought to halt due a trespasser on the track outside of North Dulwich.

UK consumers increasingly turned to plastic in the spring and early summer, with figures showing a rise in the use of credit, debit and charge cards. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A policeman is in hospital after being "deliberately run over" by a suspect fleeing officers in south London.

She told the Institute for Government she had also taken over "in a political crisis" and, at first, there had been little comment about being a woman. But "the gender stuff grew over time, as the government I led dealt with the hard issues and got into politically choppy waters", she added. Mrs May is the UK's second female prime minister, following Margaret Thatcher. Ms Gillard, who, as Australia's first woman PM, was in power from 2010 to 2013, said female leaders had to labour under the stereotype that they should appear "empathetic and nurturing". If they gained high office, it appeared they "must have given up on the nurturing". She said Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was "suffering a bit from that" in her race against Republican Donald Trump for the US presidency. Ms Gillard, who has warned that many women in public life face "almost daily" rape threats, told the audience in London that, while she was in charge of Australia, opponents held up placards bearing the slogan "Ditch the witch". She offered Mrs May - who took over from David Cameron in July amid the political disruption following the referendum vote for Brexit - advice based on her experience. She said: "What I actually found was, when I came to the prime ministership in a political crisis moment, my gender wasn't the focus of the reaction. "Rather the gender stuff grew over time, as the government I led dealt with hard issues and got into politically choppy waters. "The harder it got, it became more likely that gendered insult would become the political weapon." Ms Gillard, who, like Mrs May, does not have children, said a typical comment on her during her premiership would have been: "She doesn't have children, so she doesn't understand ordinary people and their lives. She was ruthless in getting to the top, so everything she does is about her political interests." She criticised Australia's male business leaders for not doing more to speak out against sexism during her time in office. Ms Gillard, who is a visiting professor at King's College London, said more needed to be done to ensure women could balance family life with a career without suffering a lack of promotion. More than 130 are burning in New South Wales, 40 of which haven't yet been brought under control by fire fighters. Another large fire is burning on the island of Tasmania, near areas hit by blazes over the weekend. The country's prime minister, Julia Gillard, has described Tuesday as "a very dangerous day". People have been asked to leave their homes in parts of New South Wales where four areas have been given a "catastrophic" fire danger rating. That means that if fires break out they will be uncontrollable. The dangerous situation has come about after days of very hot weather in Australia, with temperatures passing 40 degrees Celsius. Strong winds of up to 50mph have helped spread the fires too. All national parks and state forests have been closed to the public and many tourists have been seen leaving campsites. To try and stop things getting worse people have been banned from lighting fires across New South Wales, Canberra, Tasmania and Victoria.

Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned Theresa May she may face growing "gender-based" criticism. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Strong winds and record temperatures have caused large fires to keep spreading in south-east Australia.

Staff at the reserve near Dunkeld had been awaiting the return of "Lady", the female which has nested at the site for 24 consecutive years. However, a younger bird has instead moved in and mated with the resident male, known as "Laddie". Rangers at the reserve said Lady may yet return, but would face a competition for her nest and mate. Lady would be 30 this year, and is thought to be the world's oldest breeding osprey, having reared 50 chicks at Loch of the Lowes. Scottish Wildlife Trust Perthshire ranger Charlotte Fleming said everyone at the reserve was "so excited" by the new development. She said: "Many people have been asking if this means that our famous osprey - affectionately known by many as Lady - will not return this year, but we simply do not know. "There is still a possibility that she will return - and dramatic scenes could unfold if Lady were to begin to compete for her nest and her mate." A webcam set up to cover the nest attracted more than a million viewers from 96 different countries last year. One side of the £1 coin bears the image of Prince Philip and the phrase "Non sibi sed patriae", meaning "not for self, but country". Prince Charles struck the coin during a visit to the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taff, on Tuesday. The silver and gold design has been approved by Prince Philip. After his visit, Prince Charles, on the third day of his Welsh summer tour, was presented with the coin he had struck. "Is that the one I made?" he asked. "I am very grateful." The Royal Mint's chief engraver Gordon Summers said: "The image of the Duke of Edinburgh was taken from a prize medal from the 1970s. "We are already working on a coin for Prince Charles' 70th birthday and I showed him the design for it. "He asked what references we had used. We had a photography session with him about a year ago. "We did not alter the image of his father, so his father looks younger than him on the coins." The Royal Mint, which was first housed in the Tower of London, produces five billion coins each year for more than 60 countries. Its headquarters in Llantrisant was officially opened by the Queen in 1968 in readiness for the introduction of decimal coinage. The prince earlier met the Royal Welsh's regimental goat Shenkin III during a visit to the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh in Brecon.

A new female osprey has set up nest at the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve at Loch of the Lowes. [NEXT_CONCEPT] The Prince of Wales has struck a commemorative coin to mark the Duke of Edinburgh's retirement from public duties.

Sixteen people were killed last month in the town during clashes between striking oil workers and police. A criminal inquiry has opened into the use of weapons by the security forces. The violence was the worst since Kazakhstan's independence 20 years ago. Witnesses said police fired indiscriminately at unarmed workers. Oil workers have been protesting for months in Zhanaozen, a town of about 90,000 people. Police say they were forced to defend themselves during the clashes. "I resolve to extend the state of emergency in the town of Zhanaozen in the Mangistau region... until 7 am on 31 January," President Nazarbayev said in a decree posted on his official website. The president did not give a reason for the extension, which bans all protests and strikes, imposes a curfew and requires checks on transport leaving and entering the town. It also allows officials to restrict or ban the use of television and radio broadcasting equipment. December's clashes came after months of strikes in Kazakhstan's energy-rich Caspian Sea region. They coincided with the 20th anniversary of the country's independence and were the most violent in its post-Soviet history. The criminal inquiry was announced following the appearance of video footage on the internet appearing to show security forces beating and shooting people. The move marked the first time since the incident that Kazakh prosecutors had accused the police of firing on the protesters. Last month Kazakhstan asked the UN to help investigate the violence. Eighteen people accused of taking part in the disturbances and looting have been arrested. President Nazarbayev fired his son-in-law, Timur Kulibayev, from his position as head of Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund, which holds stakes in the companies whose workers were striking. Correspondents say Mr Nazarbayev is keen to maintain his country's reputation as a bastion of stability in central Asia. The 71-year-old leader has led Kazakhstan since the Soviet era, achieving stability and strong economic growth, but tightly suppressing opposition to his rule. Officially titled the Leader of the Nation, Mr Nazarbayev won a presidential election in April last year with 95.5% of the vote. Kazakhstan has huge energy reserves that are attractive to neighbouring energy-hungry China as well as to the West, which is keen to reduce Europe's dependence on Russia's hydrocarbons. The emergency services, which included an air ambulance, were sent to Spring Road, Sholing at about 18:00 BST. The 19-year-old man, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. Hampshire Police said the motorcyclist collided with a silver Peugeot car and a Peugeot taxi. Motorists are advised to avoid the area as the road is currently closed. Anyone who saw the crash is being asked to contact police.

Kazakhstan has extended a state of emergency in the Caspian Sea town of Zhanaozen, President Nursultan Nazarbayev has announced. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A teenage motorcyclist has died after colliding with two cars in Southampton.

Grandmother Pauline McKee was playing the Miss Kitty game at a casino when she won 185 credits, or $1.85. But a message appeared on screen saying she had also won a bonus worth $41,797,550.16. The casino refused to pay out, saying the award was a computer glitch. Ms McKee, who has 13 grandchildren, sued the casino but the Iowa Supreme Court eventually threw out her case. "I had my doubts from the start, because that's a lot of money for a penny machine," she told the Chicago Tribune. "I was hoping to help my children out financially, but it wasn't meant to be." The casino argued that the on-screen rules clearly indicated that "malfunction voids all pays and plays". At the time of the dispute, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) secured the machine and carried out an investigation, sending the hardware and software to an independent testing laboratory. The investigators found that the software was programmed to allow a bonus of up to $10,000, but they couldn't work out how the multi-million bonus message had occurred. The machine's maker, Aristocrat Technologies, said it had been aware of this type of error in the display and suggested "component degradation over time may increase the susceptibility to this rare occurrence". The company had alerted casinos to the glitch in 2010 and recommended that they disable the bonus facility as a precautionary measure. The casino evidently had not done this. The IRGC concluded that the bonus display was "not valid" and that "the slot machine game malfunctioned." Ms McKee sued the casino in 2012 claiming breach of contract and consumer fraud. The court unanimously sided with the casino in 2013, but the case dragged on when Ms McKee's lawyers argued that the IRGC had no jurisdiction in disputes between casinos and their patrons. They also questioned whether the machine had really "malfunctioned", as the IRGC had concluded, and whether she had really entered into a contract when playing the game. There have been similar cases in the US involving erroneous bonus displays. In 2009, a player "won" a bonus of $1m that had appeared on screen, only for a Mississippi court to throw out the claim. In this case, the game rules limited payouts to $8,000. The doughty Ms McKee saw her case finally rejected by the Iowa Supreme Court on 24 April. Polling stations opened their doors at 07:00 BST and will close at 22:00. In Nottinghamshire, votes are being cast for the police and crime commissioner (PCC) election, one of 36 taking place in England. The candidates are Tony Harper, Conservative, Fran Loi, UKIP, and Paddy Tipping, Labour, while Tony Bates and Jason Zadrozny are both standing as Independents.

An 90-year-old woman from Illinois who thought she had won $41.8m (£27.6m) on a video penny slot machine, has been denied the bonus after losing a court case. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Voting has begun in elections being held in Nottinghamshire.

Speaking to Barron's, he said he had "always been an investment guy" and the "hiring, paying people, planning and so on" became a problem for him. Mr Gross told the financial magazine that "managing money is in my blood". The co-founder of Pimco left abruptly last week to join rival Janus Capital. It has been reported that he was at odds with the executive committee of Pimco, the world's largest bond fund, which is owned by the German insurer Allianz. In his interview, Mr Gross says he's grateful to Janus's chief executive for "putting this [job opportunity] together so quickly, in a matter of 24 to 48 hours at most, and I don't intend to disappoint". While at Pimco, Mr Gross was seen as a key figure, and since his departure investors have withdrawn record amounts of money. The Total Return bond fund, which was managed by Mr Gross, lost more than 10% of its assets in September. "I like to get up at 5:30 in the morning and make money for clients and compete against other money managers. That's something that doesn't go away. "I am obsessed with delivering value to investors and winning the game from a personal standpoint. Retiring at this point in my career just doesn't suit me," he states in the Barron's interview. He has been given control of a much smaller fund at Janus, worth $13 million (£8m), in which he says it will be easier to implement ideas than in the $200bn (£125bn) portfolio he used to run. "The bond paparazzi will be less interested in Janus than they were in Total Return," he says. Asked where he sees bond investment opportunities at the moment, he points to Mexico, saying it is "a pretty safe emerging market," with half the debt level of the US and interest rates around 6%. The winger helped Great Britain win the World Cup in 1954, at the age of 20, and again in 1960. He set the record for the most GB caps with 46 - later equalled by Garry Schofield - and scored 41 tries. His club career saw him play for Huddersfield, Wigan - with whom he won the Challenge Cup in 1958 and 1959, St Helens and York, whom he also coached. Sullivan was also part of Wigan's Championship-winning team of 1960 and later played in Australia, serving as captain and coach of Junee in the Group 9 competition in southern New South Wales from 1966-68. One of only 25 members of the Rugby League Hall of Fame, Sullivan was last week admitted to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, where he died on Tuesday. Schofield tweeted: "Very sad news. Rest in peace, legend."

In his first interview since leaving the bond fund Pimco, former boss Bill Gross has said he is 'uniquely exuberant' at leaving management responsibilities behind in his new job. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Two-time World Cup winner Mick Sullivan has died at the age of 82 after a long illness.

Special envoy Staffan de Mistura said more than 40 groups had been invited to attend one-on-one meetings over the next five to six weeks. Iran and Turkey have also been invited, but jihadist militant groups have not. Mr de Mistura described it as a stock-taking process, saying there would be no big roundtable discussions. The last round of peace talks in Geneva collapsed in early 2014 with the government refusing to discuss opposition demands. The talks in Geneva are being billed by the UN as low-key consultations rather than real negotiations, reports the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in the Swiss city. The goal is to find areas where negotiation, even on a modest temporary ceasefire in some towns, might be possible, she says. "These are not yet peace talks," Mr de Mistura stressed at a news conference, acknowledging that the chances of success were slim. None of the different groups will meet one another. Instead, representatives of "a broad spectrum of youth, political and military actors, women, victims, civil society, diaspora, religious and community leaders", as well as 20 countries, will have individual meetings with the special envoy. Mr de Mistura said there was "no cut-off date" and that at the end of June he would "assess progress" and "decide on the next steps". The Swedish-Italian diplomat said he wanted to identify possible negotiating positions and try to "operationalise" the 2012 Geneva Communique, an internationally-backed agreement that called for the establishment of a transitional governing body in Syria formed on the basis of mutual consent. Although the UN is seeking a political solution based on the communique, Mr de Mistura noted that it had neither become reality nor had there been a serious discussion on how to implement it. Even before the consultations began on Tuesday, doubts were being expressed, our correspondent says. Some opposition groups were angry that Iran - President Bashar al-Assad's staunch ally - had been invited, claiming it showed Mr de Mistura was too close to the Syrian government. Jihadist groups like Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, will also not be there as they are designated as terrorist organisations by the UN. But some diplomats point out that given the power these two groups have on the ground in Syria, any peace deal would have to involve them somehow, our correspondent adds. The dead included a married couple and their one-year-old son, officials said. It happened on Saturday in Veracruz state, and there are warnings that rivers may flood in the neighbouring state of Puebla. They were not Storm Earl's first victims. At least nine people died on Monday as it gathered in the Caribbean. Six of the victims were passengers on board a bus that caught fire in the Dominican town of Nagua when it was hit by tumbling power lines. Three people drowned in Haiti when their tour boat capsized. Earl moved westward and struck Belize as a Category One hurricane on Thursday. The hurricane then weakened to a tropical storm and passed over Guatemala and parts of Mexico. It has now been downgraded from a storm to a tropical depression and wind speeds dropped to 30mph (48km/h) by Saturday, but the effects of the large amounts of rainfall it unleashed are continuing. Some villages in Mexico have been cut off as bridges have been torn up by swollen rivers. The town of Coscomatepec, where the young family died, has been hit by a similar tragedy before. In 2013 a landslide took the lives of 13 people, including eight children and six members of one family. Local media (in Spanish) reported that some families had predicted that there might be another landslide and asked the government for help relocating away from the base of hills and building defence walls. The official response was reportedly that there was no money to re-house them.

The UN has begun consultations with Syrian government and opposition officials as it seeks to find enough common ground to restart peace talks. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Six people died in eastern Mexico when their homes were buried under landslides caused by heavy rain in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Earl.

March saw 492,774 new cars registered, 6% up on the same time last year and the best monthly figure since August 1998, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The UK car industry has been growing for three years in a row, helped by a strong export market. March is typically a strong month for car registrations, as it is when new number plates are released. Sales were buoyed by low interest rates and sales of new offerings such as fuel-efficient cars. The best selling model in March was the Ford Fiesta, with 27,034 sold. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "The best month this century for new car registrations is a welcome boost for the UK's thriving automotive sector. The challenge for a new government and industry will be to maintain this momentum and to strengthen Britain's manufacturing capabilities through continued investment, innovation and policies which maintain our global competitiveness. "Whatever the general election result, the new government must keep up the commitment to the sector, which is delivering at home and abroad." Privately registered petrol cars continue to make up most of the cars sold, although there has been a 62% rise in alternatively fuelled vehicles compared with 2014. In 2014, the UK made £26.2bn from car exports. In his first general election event in Wales, Mr Corbyn visited Cardiff North - a seat Labour wants to recapture from the Conservatives. The leader used the event to heap praise on the Welsh Government. But Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies claimed the Welsh Labour team would be "gritting its teeth" during the visit. Mr Corbyn was joined by First Minister Carwyn Jones, as well as Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan. Speaking on Whitchurch Common to a crowd of around 700, Mr Corbyn said: "I urge you to come with us on this journey of hope and excitement, not this journey of fear and misery which is all the Tories offer." Mr Corbyn said the UK government was slicing the money from normal state schools for free and grammar schools. He criticised the UK government for cutting the Welsh budget. "In Wales it is different, because you've got a government that is determined to properly fund education and give every child an opportunity," he said. Friday's event came after Mr Corbyn said children were being crammed "like sardines" into "super-sized" school classes in England, as Labour focused its general election campaign on education. But the Tories called the comments "a massive own goal", saying the Labour-led Welsh Government had overseen increases in class sizes in Wales. Education in Wales is devolved and Liberal Democrat Education Secretary Kirsty Williams has announced a £36m fund to reduce infant class sizes in Wales. In the wideranging speech, Mr Corbyn said seven years of the Tory government and the earlier coalition had brought "greater poverty, greater insecurity, greater misery", and that Labour was the party of hope and opportunity. He said Labour would maintain the triple-lock on pensions, while he claimed big firms would not be allowed "cosy" tax negotiations with HM Revenue and Customs. Mr Corbyn was surrounded by a large crowd of well-wishers and supporters as he left the scene. Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones said Labour would create a "fairer society" after 8 June. "The time has come for change," he said. But Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: "After nearly two decades in government, Labour's record is a smorgasbord of failure evidenced by Wales having the worst-performing education system in the UK, the lowest take-home pay, and the longest hospital waiting times." Jonathan Edwards, Carmarthenshire East and Dinefwr Plaid Cymru MP, said: "Given the current weakness and chaos plaguing Labour, the prospect of a UK Labour government is a complete fantasy." Meanwhile, Rhondda MP Chris Bryant said he was "fully supporting" the leader, despite being a vocal critic when he was voted into the role. Make no bones about it - it would have been a good boost for Mr Corbyn to see so many hundreds of his supporters turn out in Cardiff. But it is not enough for him to rely on the votes of Labour supporters. Take a place like Cardiff North, where the Conservatives have a got a majority of 2,137 votes. It is those voters that it will need to attract, that will sometimes vote Labour, sometimes vote for the Conservatives.

The UK has seen its highest monthly level of new car sales this century. [NEXT_CONCEPT] Jeremy Corbyn has led a rally of hundreds of supporters in Cardiff - calling for voters to join him on a journey of "hope and excitement".

Marco Mama's powerful run and try put Warriors 7-0 up at half-time. Twice the Group 3 leaders fought back to level after the break, Fabien Sanconnie the first to go over. Val Rapava Ruskin then went over for Worcester, only for Fabian Guillaume's try and a last-gasp Gaetan Germain penalty to seal Brive's comeback win. Worcester, who are just one point above the relegation places in England's top flight, needed to win both their remaining two group games to have any chances of reaching the quarter-finals of Europe's second-tier competition. Defeat leaves them bottom of their group, with Brive four points clear at the top and on the cusp of a spot in the last eight of the competition. Worcester boss Carl Hogg had involved himself more heavily in the build-up to the match at Stade Amedee-Domenech, having previously allowed his backroom staff to take charge of a generally under-strength, second-string line-up. Mama was one of a number of experienced players included for the trip to France to try salvage hopes, but the Top 14 side still managed to condemn Worcester to a fourth defeat in Europe this season. Brive: Lapeyre; Ngwenya, Galala, Cabannes, Masilevu; Ugalde, Lobzhanidze; Lavergne, Acquier, Bekoshvili, Snyman, Mela (capt), Luafutu, Waqaniburotu, Sanconnie. Replacements: Ribes, Buys, Jourdain, Uys, Hireche, Pejoine, Tuatara, Germain. Worcester: Howard; Humphreys, Stelling, Braid, Hammond; Mills, Baldwin; Bower (capt), Taufete'e, Alo, Kitchener, Spencer, Taylor, Mama, Cox. Replacements: Singleton, Rapava Ruskin, Daniels, Barry, Betty, De Cothi, Arr, Eden. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter. Eight fire appliances attended the refinery and police officers were sent to the site shortly after 12:00. Refinery owners Ineos said there were no casualties as a result of the incident. Ineos said a leak was detected on a pipe carrying ethylene gas in its Kinneil Gas manufacturing plant which was being isolated. The company said in a statement: "Staff were evacuated from the immediate area and our well-practiced emergency procedures were implemented with the incident management team being mobilised. "Measures were put in place to contain the leak in the immediate vicinity of the affected plant and as an ongoing precaution road closures remain in place. "All of the people working in the area have been accounted for and there were no injuries. "Other areas within the Grangemouth complex, including the adjacent refinery were unaffected by the incident. "A full investigation into the cause of the incident is under way. "The regulators have been kept fully informed throughout." Pupils at primary and secondary schools in Grangemouth were kept indoors over lunchtime as a precaution at the request of the police, a Falkirk Council spokesman said. A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "At 12.12 on Tuesday, 2 May the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to reports of a gas leak at the Grangemouth petrochemical site." Police Scotland said it attended the incident at about 12:15 and that it had closed a number of access roads.

Worcester's hopes of European Challenge Cup progress were ended after the Premiership strugglers suffered a dramatic late defeat by Brive. [NEXT_CONCEPT] A full investigation has been launched into the cause of a gas leak at the Grangemouth petrochemical site.